


Summers Reborn

by SevereLove51



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Age Difference, Age Regression/De-Aging, First Time, M/M, Male Slash, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Potential Triggers, Resurrection, Scott is eighteen years old, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-16 20:13:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7283134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevereLove51/pseuds/SevereLove51
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three years after the events of the Wolverine, Logan receives a message from Jean about finding a newly resurrected X Men. Logan is tasked with the burden of taking care of a 18 year old Scott Summers and tasked with delivering the young Summers to the X Mansion. This task becomes a bit difficult now that he has a teenage boy flirting with him and an old problem from the past emerges.</p><p> </p><p>On Hold/Being Rewritten</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place 3 years after the Wolverine. Jean Grey is still dead, but is able to communicate to Logan through his dreams as the Phoenix Force is keeping her spirit/mind. Also in this story Charles Xavier is still alive and no one got depowered, even though that part doesn't effect the story that much.

Logan sets down the mug of beer on the counter and drags his fingers through his thick dark hair. He wounded up in a bar, of course. The bar looked like the interior of a coffin, dark burgundy wallpaper with a dull shine to it, wooden floors that creak every time you stepped on it, but he couldn't complain. He has to be here and the beer they served was decent. He slowly regrets coming here. Whoever was supposed to come hadn't shown up yet. He takes another swing of beer.

  
He recalls the many times he's been at the bars, the last time he's been to this country. Three years? He cursed himself for coming back here. 'Should've stayed in Japan'; but Jean told him to come to meet someone here. Why did he listen to her? He was done with the superhero business. He rather crawl back to his shadow where everything was better alone, where he was a distant introvert not building relationships, where everyone was alive...

He held up his mug. "Refill."

The bartender strolls to him and refills his mug with 12 ounces of beer. Logan whispers a thank you then brings the mug to his lips. Her nose scrunched up. "Can you pay for all that?"

His eyes peered from the mug. "Yeah, I can."

Her green eyes squinted, muttering something underneath her breath then disappeared into the kitchen behind her. Logan sets the mug down and sank back into the barstool as he finished his fourth beer for the night. It was already getting dark, how long could he wait? Bar attendees began to dwindle as the hour past. Logan could feel the bartender boring holes at the back of his skull for his elongated stay. He contemplated whether to smoke the cigar in his pocket to past time.

A gush of a cold air invades the warm room as a tall, lanky, awkward teenage boy entered. The attention of the attendees focused on the new arrival as eyes followed the kid. The kid's dressed in red and black checkered flannel with a blue shirt peering underneath the flannel. Jeans and sneakers completed the grunge teenage look. A gray duffel bag was slung over his shoulder, light brown hair stuck to face, his eyes hidden behind red glasses.

Red glasses.

A sense of familiarity hits Logan and he shifts in his seat.

The kid sat next to him, setting the duffel bag on the counter. The kid seemed nervous and on the edge, constantly checking his surroundings and watching the door.

"Need something?" the bartender asked.

The kid snapped out of his thought and dazed at the bartender. "Can I have water?"

The bartender squint. "How old are you, kid?"

"Does it matter?"

The bartender gave him a hard glare. She scoffed then turned her attention to another customer.

Logan stared at the kid, longer than he cared to admit. He tried to pinpoint the familiarity in the kid's appearance. He tilts his head ever so slightly, absorbing as much of the kid's appearance as he can. The kid was young, definitely older than 16, but a bit too young to be in his 20s. He pinpoints the kid to be either 19 or 18, the minimum 17. The kid's hair was curtained in the middle with his fringes ending at the tip of his glasses. Light brown hair, red glasses, could it be?

The kid drums his fingers on the wooden counter, his eyes scanning the labels on the bottle. Logan’s eyes linger on the kid and the kid visibly shifts. The bartender came back, handing the kid his drink. "Hope you can pay for that."

The kid whispers a small 'thank you' and takes a sip from his drink.

It's quiet. The attendees returned to their previous conversations while Logan’s eyes began to drift back to the kid. From the corner of his eyes, he can see clothes packed in the duffel bag as the kid searched through it. The kid pulls out a bill from the bag, laying it on the counter.

He grips the bill and glanced over to Logan. "Do I know you?" the kid asked. He lets go of the bill and turned to him.

Logan stares at him, a wary look crossed his face. "No."

"You keep staring at me. Have we met before?" the kid cocked his head, staring intently at him. He shook his head. Surely this kid couldn't be...no. He's unsure about it. "No. We never met before," he confirms it, though part of him recognize the kid. Doppelgänger maybe?

"Oh." The kid dips his finger into the water and swooshes his finger around.

It’s quiet between the two men. The kid continues drinking, glancing every once in awhile at the door. Logan keeps to himself, biting back about questioning the kid's agitated state. He contemplates about furthering the conversation, remembering his dream with Jean.

"I heard ya needed a ride," Logan began, moving the mug away from him for another refill. "To New York."

The kid shoots him a surprised look. "How did you..." He nods. He watches the bartender pouring Logan another mug of beer. "Uh, yes. I do. Can you take me?"

"Why else would I be talkin' to ya?" Logan jeered. He brought the mug to his lips. "Anyway, yeah I can take ya."

There's a smile on the kid's face, probably making the kid's day. "Thank you. Are you going to New York too?" the kid asked, curiosity fills his voice.

He sets the mug down, staring at the warm pale amber liquid. "You can say that."

"Are you a biker?" he asked. "I figured because you had a leather jacket and there was a motorcycle outside too."

"I wouldn't drive all the way to New York on a bike," he told him.

Logan finishes the mug of beer and glanced over to the kid. "Forgot to ask, what's yer name kid?"

"Scott." Shit. "Yours?"

He takes a deep breath. "Logan."

Scott smiled at him. "Nice to meet you." The kid held out his hand, but his eyes divert to the sudden TV program change from the football game to a news report. The kid puts his hands down and averts his attention to the TV. Images of a blurred man shooting red blasts from his eyes as bystanders looked on with horror appeared on the screen. A male voice began to speak:

"…Witnesses say a mutant male suddenly began attacking innocent bystanders. It is unknown what motivated the assailant, but police believe him might be a radical."

"Damn mutants. Always screwing shit up," a man muttered with another person agreeing with him.

Logan took a quick glance at the kid. Fear crossed the kid's face then quickly harden as he turned away.

He stares at the TV for a few second then turned to the kid. "We should go," he told him. The kid nods. He slings the bag over his shoulder.

"Ready."


	2. Chapter 2

Scott stared at the window as they drove past by buildings, whirling past various cars. He takes a glimpse back at the man who offered to drive him to New York. He decides to stick with his instincts to trust the man. Something about the man he yearned towards, like there was sense of closeness ingrained between the two or maybe something about his appearance made him gravitate towards Logan.

Scott caught himself staring at the man longer than he cared to admit. He felt a sense of warmth in his chest every time his eyes wandered to Logan. He absorbs the man's appearance, from the firm brown eyes to the muscular physique. 'He probably works out'. Shaking his head, he tried to remember why he really was doing this; not to ride with some stranger who was unusually attractive, but to escape the clutches of his former guardian.

Scott's eyes drift back to him. Behind the leather jacket Scott wondered how it will feel to caresses those muscles, to drag his fingers through his hair, to feel his lips against his...

When their eyes met, Scott looked back at the window with pink cheeks.

Logan held back a grin. "So why are ya tryin' to get to New York? Trynna see someone there?" Scott doesn't say anything. He continues to stare at the window. "Don't have to tell me, just askin'."

"Something like that. There's a school in New York, I'm trying to get to," Scott tells him. "Any reason you're going to New York?"

"Personal," Logan simply respond.

"Oh." Silence. "Have you've been there before?"

"Yeah."

'Not much to talk, huh?'

"I had another guy driving me. He was a truck driver," Scott added, trying to carry on the conversation. If he's riding with a man he thinks is attractive, he might as well get to know a few thing about him.

Logan sighed, annoyance laced in his voice, but asked, "What happened to him?"

"We stopped at a gas station. I went to the bathroom and when I came back and he left." Scott flicked the window switch.

"Annoyed him too much?" Logan quipped.

"I guess. I only slept so..." Scott voice trailed off as he stared out the window. He feigns a smile and looked back at Logan. "I'm surprised someone agreed to take me. Everyone else declined, they were either going to Canada or Mexico."

"Couldn't find any non-truckers?"

"No. They said they don't pay for those type of services, whatever that means." Logan snorts in a laugh. Scott shot him a look. "What?"

"A young, handsome guy like you asking a bunch of old dudes for rides," Logan started. "Makes sense why everyone declined."

Scott blinked. "What?" He paused. "Oh." A few seconds, he adds, "I'm not prostitute."

"I figured. You don't seem to be the type to be one," Logan admitted.

"I don't know how to respond to that." He thinks for a moment. "You think I'm handsome?" No answer. He lets out a sigh and slouched back against his seat.

The next ten minutes was followed by silence, minus the sound of rushing wind from cars speeding past them. He stared at the front car window. There were miles of roads as far as his eyes can see. The car took a sudden turn, driving away from the parkway and towards a small town.

"Where are we going?" he inquired.

"Ya don't mind if we stayed at a motel for the night, do ya?" Logan replied.

"No!" he blurted out. 'Oh god that was stupid.' "I mean...I don't really mind, but why?" He felt the heat rising on his cheeks.

"I just don't want to drive straight to New York without a break," he explained.

"That's understandable," Scott responded. "Are we going to share beds?"

Logan raised his eyebrow. "Why would we sleep on the same bed?"

"You really want to sleep with a stranger?" Scott questioned.

"It ain't like yer a serial killer."

"R-Right." He looks away, turning to the car window as the car edge closer and closer to the motel building in the distance. He tries to hide the embarrassment on his face and beat himself mentally for getting flustered. 'He's just a guy, he might be attractive, but he's just a guy, just like you.'

They rode in awkward silence. It became a common theme between the two of them Scott noticed. He felt like a 12 year old school girl who just got her first crush..

They reached the motel, a nice two-story building connecting to a smaller building with the sign ‘management’. The engine shuts off and the two men exit the pickup truck.

"Wait here," Logan ordered. He comes back quickly just as he disappeared. Holding up the key, he motioned to the motel room.

* * *

  
Logan turned the light on. Surprisingly the motel was clean with a few downside to it. The motel had a crappy pink floral wallpaper that covered the motel creating a corny vintage look to it. The vermilion-colored carpet was fainted into a dull dark burgundy red. There was no dust or crumbs on the carpet and the smell of recent vacuuming still lingered in the air. The two queen size beds were also clean and folded neatly. Logan checked the bathroom as Scott set his duffel bag on the bed. The bathroom was clean, but there was no curtains and only a small bar of soap left and had the same floral print like the one in the previous room. He leaves the bathroom and checks the two closets that are there. Nothing.

Closing the closet door, he takes a glimpse over to Scott, who sat quietly on the bed watching Logan. Logan heads to the other bed and sat across from Scott. He takes in the kid's appearance, something he hadn't bother to stop and look at. The kid looked eerily similar to Cyclops right down to the facial structure; the defined cheekbones, the iconic red sunglasses, the young chiseled face that makes him looks like a super model. The only different is the height and body structure. The kid was three inches shorter than Logan (him being 5 ft 11 in) and instead of the muscular body figure was a more lanky body type with skinny arms and legs.

"Since we're riding together, would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?" Scott asked, pulling Logan away from his thoughts.

"Go ahead," Logan said. The kid smiled.

"Do you have a family?"

"No," he answered then added, "Don't think so."

"Jobs?"

"Used to be a teacher." He emphasized the words 'used to'.

"Any criminal records?"

"Definitely not."

"You seem so certain."

"Because I'm not."

"Do you know a man named Jack Winters?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Scott paused. "What year is this?"

Logan tells him the year. "Why? Think I'm insane or somethin'?"

"No, I just thought it was 1995," he said with full sarcasm in his voice. Logan gave him a look. "I'm joking."

"Alright. Anything else you wanna ask?"

"Sexual preferences?"

"You think I'm a child molester?"

The kid chuckled. "I hope not. I meant if you have an attraction to women or men."

"Are you hittin' on me, kid?"

He scrunched his nose in disgust. "God no, I'm not...never."

"Alright, let me ask you some questions."

The kid shrugged. "Go ahead."

"Where's ya parents?"

"Somewhere."

Logan narrowed his eyes. "So they allowed you to hitchhike alone instead of takin' ya to New York?"

"Maybe I wanted to get away from mines," Scott suggested.

"Are you a mutant?"

The kid lift an eyebrow. "Are you?" Neither men said anything. "I think that's all for questions."

Scott gets up, grabs his duffle bag and heads to the bathroom. Logan was left to himself. He sprawls across the bed, thinking about what the hell he gotten himself into. After a couple of minutes of silence, the sound of running water resonates off the motel walls.

* * *

  
Scott comes out from the bathroom, replacing the grunge outfit with dark blue sweatpants and a burgundy red t-shirt. He shoved the flannel and jeans in his duffel bag, along with his towel.

After that, the kid kept mostly to himself after that, just constantly looking through his duffel bag, pulling out clothes, refolding them, pulling out other contents out of his bag. He watched the young Scott Summers with slight interest.

"Do ya need something?" he asked.

The kid shook his head. "No, I'm good."

Logan shrugged it off. 'Just leave the kid to himself.' He decides to lay down and pull the cover over to his shoulder.

It wasn't until another 10 minutes Scott finally crawled into bed.

The light goes off.

He laid there, pondering on the fact that the guy that was presumed dead had magically came back to alive. All adding to the fact that the man is now an 18 year old teenager. Last time he remembered finding his visor by the lake, no sign of his body, everyone presuming he was killed by Jean, his body vaporized to the point they couldn't do a proper burial. As much as he claims to hate the guy, he always respected that leadership persona he carried and the fact he had won Jean also adds to his small liking towards him. Maybe if their jealousy between one another hadn't exist then they've probably be best buds. Maybe.

He flips to his side, staring at the shaded window with light peering through then disappears quickly. He forces himself to sleep, closing his eyes, but there was a nagging thought that bothered him. Scott, Cyclops, the leader of the X Men, Jean's ex-boyfriend. He cursed himself, but this kid was the only thing he can think about. The sheer resemblance between the two is not a coincidence, especially in a world where people like him exists meaning anything could be possible. It all came back to what Jean told him in his dream, the reason why he left Japan to came back to this country and going to that specific bar in Nebraska.

He hears Scott wake up. It was a sudden jolt throughout the kid's body and a choked down scream that left the kid struggling to go back to sleep. The kid's heart is pounding vigorously against his chest and he struggles to breath for a second before regaining his moderate heartbeat. Logan turns over to his side as he's curious what the kid is going to do next.

Scott shifts in his bed and Logan could hear the bed sheets crumple in the dark. He opened his eyes and he felt the kid's gaze lay on him. He cursed himself mentally. They stared at one another for a few minutes before Logan flip to his side and goes back pretending to be asleep.

"Are you awake?" Scott whispered.

"No,” he answered.

He hears the kid remove the covers. "I'm cold."

"What do you want me to do?" Logan grumbled. It came out harsher than he expected.

The kid bite his lips and swallows. His lower lips tremble as he took a deep breath and Logan tilts his head in confusion. "Can we share a bed together? I'd like to have another body next to me."

"I'm not getting up," Logan told him.

"I can…if you want me to," Scott murmured back.

"Whatever you want just don't come too close."

Scott nods and rushes over to join him on the bed seeming a bit too excited to come. Logan scoots over to one side of the bed.

"Thanks," Scott mumbled. He snuggles underneath the covers and smiles. Logan rolls his eyes and turned his back facing the kid.

"Why are you awake?" The kid asked.

"I went to get water," he answered.

"Oh."

Logan sighed, the kid wanted the conversation to keep going. "Why are you awake?" He turned to face Scott.

"I had a nightmare."

"Do you get nightmares a lot?" He regrets asking, he really does, but he figured he should make the kid comfortable.

"Yeah ever since I was 12. I kept having nightmares, but recently I've been getting these weird dreams. It sounds stupid, but I feel like I had another life. Does that makes

sense?" Scott explained.  
"I heard of a lotta weird things in my life kid, this isn't new." Nightmares weren't something foreign to him. He experiences the same thing every night, flashes of something in his past, him killing... He continued the conversation. "Mind explaining yer dreams?"

Scott nods, his face lit up, happy that he have someone to talk to.

Scott explains how he his has different types of dreams, one that reflects his experiences from the past and dreams that shows experiences he never had. The events that happened in his dreams is interesting to him. He talks about being older, being a leader of a team, something similar to the X-Men. He describes the people in one dream, a woman that can control weather, a man being able to move metal objects. He adds on never meeting people with strange abilities, but feeling a type of closeness with each of them. He tells him about a bald man in a wheelchair that remembers meeting years ago appearing in his dreams. Logan starts to think the Professor had something with this young version of Cyclops being here.

Scott stops to let out a shaky breath. "Am I crazy?" he asked. His face becomes heated as his cheeks turned red.

"No," Logan stated.

"There's also," Scott began. "Another lady appeared in my dream frequently. She's-" he paused, took another deep breath. "She has red hair and she's very beautiful." He blushes sheepishly. Logan scowled, annoyance flashed in his eyes. ‘Great, another Cyclops that likes Jean.’ The kid continued, "We were in relationship and every time she came, she...everything turned to fire and I see myself kissing her and I explode. She said some things also."

Logan’s jaw tightened. "What she say?"

"She said things like 'I love you' or 'see you soon' then everything turn black. I'm always by a lake, we kiss then I see myself die," Scott explained.

"That's why you woke up?" Logan questioned.

Scott nodded. "Yes."

Logan slowly comes to conclusion that this Scott lookalike teen could be either a reincarnation of Summers or somehow Summers resurrected as a teenage boy. Another thought that came up was that a certain redhead had something to do with this.

"She also told me to remember," Scott added, snapping Logan out of his thoughts.

"Remember what exactly?"

The kid shrugged. "Everything. I don't know what that means. She also said to trust a guy with metal claws. Do you have those?"

He slowly nods. He holds out his right hand, clenches it into a fist and his claws extended out, metal slicing through skin jolting his body with a sharp pain. The kid draws back a little, eyes wide and eyebrows lifted. Scott stays quiet, staring at his knuckles, astonished by the adamantium claws.

Scott tilted his head, trying to get a better view of his claws. "Does it hurt?" Scott wondered.

Logan shrugged. "Just a pinch." He's been used to unsheathing and sheathing his claws for as long as he came remember and the pain had faded away gradually through time.

"There's no wound," Scott said.

"It heals automatically," Logan said smoothly

Scott ponders about it for a second. "You can heal too?"

Logan nods slowly. "Yeah, it's a secondary ability I have."

"Can I touch it?" Scott asked, reaching his fingers out for them.

Logan nodded. "Don't touch the underside of the blades. They'll take your fingers off."

"I know, I'm not stupid," Scott told him.

The kid settles his hand on the back of his, safely behind the lines of his knuckles. He's amused by the size difference, the tip of the kid's fingers reaches to the bottom of his fingernails. The kid's tickling his knuckles and Logan couldn't help, but grin at the sight.

Scott traced his fingers along the back of the middle claw, tapping the claw with his nails. He cocks his head as hears a light hum of vibration then trails his finger where the metal slices through skin.

Scott lets out a breath and closes his eyes. "Are you aware of this?"

"In a way," Logan admitted. He sheathed in his claws.  
Scott opens his eyes, lets out another sigh and looks dead straight at Logan. "How do I know to trust you?"

"You're real name is Scott Summers." He waits for a reaction. "Everything from your dream is true. You're a mutant, the reason you wear those glasses is because you have an ability that can't be turn off without those glasses and you're trying to get to a safe haven for mutants."  
It’s quiet then Scott sighed. "If everything in my dreams is true then why am I older and how come I saw myself explode?"

"You died. You probably were vaporized. When we came looking for you, we only found your glasses by the lake," Logan said.

"I died?"

Logan tries to explain it the best way possible. He tells him about the X Men, the people in his dream, his adult/future self. He tells him about the School, that his adult self leads a group of mutants who protects humanity to show mutants are good. He tells him about his friends, Ororo, Xavier, Hank, Rogue, Bobby, Jean. He discussed about Jean, explaining their relationship with one another, how close they were, how powerful their love for one another was. He leaves out their hatred between Logan and Summers or their supposed love triangle between him, Logan and Jean. He glances over to Scott. The kid's processing this new information, nodding his head as he slowly took an understanding to everything.

"So we knew each other?" Scott asked with a low voice.

"Yes."

"And your duty is to take me to the School?"

"Basically."  
"That explains practically everything." He hesitates. "That lady...is she...still alive?"

Logan shook his head. "No."

Scott’s face lit up. "Really?"

Logan shot him a glare. "That's not a good thing to celebrate," he said through gritted teeth.

"Why not? She killed me!" Scott snapped bitterly, his face was red with fury.

Logan gritted his teeth. "She didn't me to."

"I saw the things she did after she killed me. Sorry for leaving that out, but she's a monster," Scott argued. Logan clenched his fist. He tries not to punch the kid in his face right now, to make him regret everything he said just now.

"She wasn't herself. There was somethin' inside her that was controllin' her. She loved ya, she never wanted to hurt you." He continued to defend Jean, much to Scott's annoyance.

Scott narrowed his eyes. "She still killed me. Voluntarily or not, she killed me. Don't play devil's advocate," Scott accused.

"Then don't act like ya know everything. You don't know the whole story only what ya saw in yer dreams," Logan sneered.

His voice lowers to a soft whisper. "She must've meant a lot to you."

"Yeah she did, but she chose you at the end," Logan confessed. "It didn't seem like it, but she loved ya."

Scott's jaw tighten and he frowned. "It doesn't excuse her behavior."

Logan's lips screws into a scowl, his fingers digging into his flesh, restraining himself from doing something he'll regret. He looks away and drops the scowl. "Just shut up and go to sleep!" he snapped.

The kid opens his mouth to say something, but quickly closes it. He turns to his side, pull the covers over his shoulder and doesn't say another word. Logan waits until he’s certain that Scott was asleep. Once he was, he closed his eyes and tried his best to fall asleep.

* * *

He fell asleep, feeling bitter about his conversation with the kid. Already day one and he hates him, alright despise the kid. He can't expect himself to stay with this kid, maybe he could just leave the kid, let someone else be his problem. He hoped for a dreamless night to come. He hopes to see only black, no horror flashbacks of his past, no nightmares to haunt him. The darkness changed into a bright white light.

He’s laying down in a white room. Everything around him was white, from the curtains to the bed, it was all white. He knows where he is. It's been awhile, three years to be exact since he last experienced this dream. He turns his head and sees her. The red hair woman wearing her white dress, the same white dress he sees many times in his dreams before. His heart swells, but he keeps a deadpan expression.  
They acknowledge one another.

"Logan."

"Jean."

He reached out for her, stroking her cheeks, his rough fingers against her soft cheeks. She smiled and nuzzled against his touch. He smiled back. 'Still beautiful' he thought, reminding himself that this was the woman he was attracted to years ago.

He closed his eyes and sighs. He really didn't want to ask about the kid, but he knew the topic would've been brought up eventually. "Is it really him?"

He opens his eyes and stares into her green eyes. Jean nodded. "Yes. Somewhat."

He positions himself better on the bed. "What does that mean?"

"He's a teenager. He doesn't know of us," she replied.

"Why? Couldn't make him older?" he suggested. He wasn't too keen of the idea of taking care of a young Summers fresh out of puberty.

"I have my reasons," she told him. She touches his arm, the same delicate fingers he remembered oh so long ago and it almost feels real. Almost.

It would be so much better if he didn't have to mention teen Scott, but his conscious keep nagging him.

"Does anyone else know?" he asked.

She shook her head and replied, "Just you and only you should know."

He nearly laughs, but it comes out as a scoff. The idea of him having to hold the responsibility of taking care of some random teenager, even if she didn't flat out mention it, but the tone of voice hinted at the idea. Still, she spoke of the topic with ambiguity. His suspicion aroused.

"Is there somethin' you wanna tell me?" he questioned.

"I know I shouldn't have, but I did. I..." She takes a deep breath, steadying her voice. "I wanted to make up for what I did to him, for all the trouble I put him through and the fact I killed him without any remorse at the time- I had to."

"Had to what?" Logan squeezed her hand. "Ya can tell me."

She swallowed nervously. "I still have the Phoenix Force inside me, little reminisces of it, but it's still very powerful. It's the reason why I'm able to even communicate with you and I...used it to resurrect him. There was no body, I had to create a whole new person, but with little I had I could only make him 18."

"You tried yer best," Logan tried to assure her. He wraps one arm around Jean.

"I'm sorry for making you take care of him. When I resurrected him, he appeared in a random field and I had to arrange you two to meet at the bar. That's why I made you leave, you was the only person I could talk to and trust to do this. Then the fact that I wanted you two to bond also came into play, so there won't be any tension between you two," she explained.

He laughs at the thought of that. Ever since he met Cyclops there was always tension; just some random hatred that breed between them. That hatred seems to die down over time and replaced with some type of tension. Maybe it was the difference between principles and personality came into play, or whatever sexual tension between them that the students would usually gossip about. They may have opposite personalities and attracted to the same person, but the idea of the two becoming friend wasn't impossible and Jean trying to make that happen was admirable.

"Also…" she began, pulling away from his touch. He gave her a questioning look. "There's people that want him."

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"He was at a town. A steel bar fell and was about to hit a group of pedestrians, but he used his powers to stop it," Jean explained.

"Yeah, I saw it on the news."

"Whatever footage leaked, rumors are spreading that it's him. A lot of bad people want him, mostly criminal organizations," Jean discussed.

He looks at her. "How do you know all this?"

"I have my way, but...please make sure they don't get him. I don't want another criminal abusing him," she pleaded with him.

Logan nodded. "I'll promise to keep him safe. Make sure no suspicious characters get to him."

"Be gentle. He's sensitive, so don't go crushing his spirit, okay?" She smiled.

"If he doesn't get too touchy," Logan grumbled.

"He likes you," she assured him.

"He's into me?"

"No, as a friend. Just be nice." She gives him a reassuring smile, placing her hand on his cheek. "I know."

The next thing he knew, she was gone. The white bedroom setting has disappeared and replaced with the motel room. He felt something shift next to him. He nearly forgot the kid was there. He really doesn't want to, but it was for Jean. He sighed and wraps Scott in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

His eyes snapped open and he realized he has had a nightmare. He shifts in bed, and he feels something warm and soft wrapped in his arm, then the familiar scent of strawberry shampoo and too much cologne hits him.

Crap.

"Morning," Scott mumbled.

He cursed himself mentally. He forgot the kid was there. He unwraps his arms around the kid, pushing himself a few inches away from Scott. "Sorry, didn't mean for that to happen," he said. Well, he hoped he didn't.

"I didn't mind," Scott admitted. "Did you sleep well?" He didn't say anything, instead, he swung his legs over the bed. He could still feel Jean's presence around him and the smell of her perfume lingered in his mind. The kid stared at him. "I'm sorry about yesterday, I apologize for my behavior."

Logan glanced over his shoulder then looked back at the window. "Oh yeah, I didn't mean to get too heated with ya," reminding himself of yesterday's events.

"Did you had a nightmare because you were mumbling in your sleep," Scott mentioned.

He massages his temple, feeling a headache coming on and gritted his teeth. "Mind yer business, kid," he said harshly. He then picks up a faint scent of dried blood. He turns to Scott. "Did I cut you?"

"Huh?" Scott looks at the ripped sleeve, blood rolled down his arm from the shallow cut. He shrugged it off. "It's just a scratch, I'll be fine."

Logan frowned. "I'll clean ya up."

"I said, I'm fine! I can do it myself," he snapped. 

Logan raised an eyebrow, a bit confused, then frowned at the sudden outburst. "Do you have a first aid kit?"

"I always have it."

"Fine," he huffed. "Just be ready in 20 minutes."

Scott doesn't say anything. The kid pulls out the first aid kit from his duffel bag. He hesitates for a second before turning to Logan.

"If you feel bad for cutting me then here," he said, handing him the kit.

He takes the kit and nods. "Alright. Sit on the bed."

The kid sat on the bed and rolled up his sleeve. The cut is still fresh, blood oozing out and running down his arm. He goes to the bathroom, washes his hands and wets a gauze he took from the kit. He goes back to the kid. He cleans the dried blood with the wet gauze then takes out an alcoholic wipe from the kit. Scott grimaced as the alcohol wipe touched his skin.

Logan never noticed the faint bruises and welts Scott had on his arm. He hadn't hurt him that badly, did he? But these were all old bruises, probably a few days to a week old. The kid have only been alive since yesterday and the body had to be new.

"You have a lot of bruises on your arm," Logan mentioned.

"I have accidents," Scott replied.

"What type of accidents?" Logan questioned.

"I fall a lot."

"How?" he pressed in further. He knew he shouldn't be sticking his head into someone's business, but the idea of someone dare laid their hands on Scott made his blood boil.

"I'm very clumsy," Scott just replied.

Frowning at the obvious lie, Logan wraps the gauge around the wounded area and tied the gauze. "Done. We're gonna be leavin' soon."

Scott nodded, starting at the floor. "I'll be ready." He then added, "Thank you." before going to the bathroom with his duffel bag.

While waiting for the kid, he thought of a plan. The dream of Jean was still fresh in his mind. The goal was to get to the mansion, nothing else. He should just take him to the mansion today, but he wasn't too eager to go. Too many painful memories were hidden there and seeing old friends was never on his list. Plus, he and Scott had other important issues to deal with, such as Winters. They are going to get there, someday. He shrugged, maybe he can stall this trip for a couple of days.

* * *

The bruises on his body taunted him. It taunted him for being weak, it taunted him for not defending himself like he should have, it taunted him for not leaving earlier when he had the chance. Discovering the bruises in the bathroom this morning wasn't pleasant for him. He loathed himself for having them to the point he stopped looking at the mirror a long time ago, but today he didn't understand. He knew the bruises weren't there yesterday. His body had to be a day old, it didn't make sense that his body was covered in week old bruises. Then again, none of this made sense to him. The fact that he’s older self had died and now takes the younger form of him was bewildering to him. He needed answers, he needed things to make sense. He wondered if going to the mansion will provide him such information. Maybe he needed Jean to answer his questions.

Depriving his attention from the window, he looked over to the man driving him, the only one that knows Jean’s true intentions. His heart always beat faster whenever he looked at Logan and always felt a mixed of love and confusion. It seemed like Logan had no interest in him only in Jean. He couldn't blame him. He doesn't even know if the man was even into… 

Biting his lips, he decides to asks, "About that red haired lady-"

"Jean," Logan interrupted.

"Were you two together?" He asked. He hesitates for a second then continued on, "I just thought that by the way you defended her."

"I can't defend a friend?" Logan retorted.

"I didn't mean it like that I was wondering if you two had ever..."

"Just a fling. That's it," Logan answered with harshness and annoyance.

"Oh," Scott can only manage to say. "It didn't work out?" Logan didn't say anything, just kept his eyes on the road. "Sorry, was that a sensitive topic?"

Something flickered in his eyes. Gripping the car wheel, lips pressed to a thin line, he muttered, "Yeah."

_'Great going, Summers.'_ Maybe he shouldn't have brought up Jean. He noticed that Jean was Logan’s soft spot every time Scott mentioned her name. The way he lashed out on him when he spoke ill of the woman yesterday had given him that hint. It didn’t make sense to him, their relationship was only a fling, why did he care so much about a woman that murdered hundreds of innocent people?

"So who's Jack Winters?" Logan asked suddenly.

He froze. Why did he...? "Someone," he answered, avoiding to look at Logan’s gaze.

"Now yer gettin' all secretive with me?"

"He's my foster dad," he responded.

"You're adopted?"

"You didn't know that?"

"Should I?"

"You said we've known each other for three years, shouldn't you know that about me?"

"I never bothered to ask and you never bothered to tell me."

"So we weren't close?"

"No. Actually, we hated each other's guts," Logan confessed.

He goes quiet for a second. "Why?"

The man stayed silent. _'Well that went well'_ Scott thought. He stares back at the window. Seeing the trees, open road and knowing that he was going to New York provided some sort of comfort to him. It reminded him how free he was from Winters, but that thought of him coming to find him crawled into his thoughts. He assures himself that Winters couldn't find him, it's been a decade since Winters saw his older self, there's no possible reason for Winters to be searching for him now. 'Should of went with Xavier when you had the chance' he told himself.

* * *

It's been awhile since Scott last said anything. They were about a few miles away from entering Iowan territory and their recent conversation didn't go too well. Bringing up Jack Winters probably wasn't this best idea Logan had. He makes a sudden right turn, recalling passing a sign about a diner that was off an exit.

"Are ya hungry?" Logan asked, deciding to break the silence.

Scott nodded. "Yes," he says in a whisper.

"Where do you want to go?"

"I don't have a preference."

"Mind if we go to a diner?"

"No."

It only took a couple of minutes before they reached the diner. The place was relatively small from the outside and even much smaller on the inside. Barely anyone was in the diner, only about four other people and the employees that worked there. The diner gave off an 80s theme with an old jukebox and colorful interior design. 

"Do you like diners?" Scott asks. 

"I like the food,” Logan answered, eyes scanning the menu. 

Scott also picks up the menu. "You know, I wouldn't mind going to a fast food restaurant if we're in a hurry," Scott told him. 

Logan shrugged and sets the menu on the table. “My treat.” 

The waitress comes, write down their order then disappears back into the kitchen. The two men stayed quiet, neither making an attempt to start a conversation. Scott simply stared at the window, something Logan noticed was a common thing the kid kept doing. The waitress came back with drinks and gave them warm smiles then goes to serve another customer. Logan stares at the hot black liquid in front of him then looks up at Scott, who hasn’t bother to look at his hot chocolate.

“Scott,” he began, earning a curious glance from Scott. He motioned to his mug. ”Your drink.” 

“Oh.” He sounded disappointed. He brings the mug close to him. “Thanks.” 

He takes a sip of the warm liquid and sets down his mug. He wipes off the chocolate milk stain on his lips which earned a tiny grin from Logan. He glanced back up at Logan, a blush crossed his face then his expression hardened. “Can I ask you some questions?” 

“You've been askin’ a lot lately,” Logan mentioned. “But sure, go ahead.”

“How much do you know about me?” Scott asked.

“How much?” Logan questioned. 

“I mean, have um...Jean told you why I’m here? How did this happen?” Scott wondered. 

“Yeah she did.”

“Do you mind telling me?”

“There's not much to say only that she felt guilty of killing you and decided to revive you back. She only managed to make you younger with little she had left of the Phoenix Force,” Logan explained. 

“How sweet of her,” he said, sarcastically, rolling his eyes. 

“Look, she ain't all that bad,” Logan told him. 

"You must really like her?” This time, Logan rolled his eyes.

"Yer not gonna drop this are ya?" Logan questioned.

Scott shrugged. "If you want to convince me she's all good, give me a reason why you like her?"

"She's beautiful, kind, powerful," Logan started. 

"How powerful?" Scott pressed, taking a sip from his mug.

"She's a telekinetic telepath," Logan answered. 

Scott scoffed. "What makes her so beautiful?" he grumbled.

"I don't know. You found somethin' beautiful about her. Remember when you called her that yesterday?"

"She was until she killed me."

"Yer older self also thought she was beautiful, reason why ya guys stayed with each other for 5 years."

"So she liked you back?" Logan nodded. 

"But she still choose me?"

"Yeah. I think she was mostly flirting with me and it worked."

"So you like when someone flirts with you?"

"A little bit,” he answered truthfully. He did enjoy the way Jean had flirted with him back at the mansion. 

The waitress comes back with their plates. She sets it onto the table, gave another warm smile and leaves. Logan decides to wait until the both of them was mostly finished with their food to ask Scott a question. He sets his fork aside and pushes the empty plate away from him. 

"Now, I'm going to ask you a question,” Logan told him. 

Scott stares at him blankly then sets his fork down on his empty plate. His lips crawl into a slight smile that quickly goes away. "Go ahead," he said, a little too pleased with Logan asking.

"Why do you want to go to the mansion?" Logan asked. “I always wondered why you wanted to-”

"It's a school where I can be myself, right?" Scott recalled. "When Xavier told me about it, I was interested."

"So you just wanted to go because you were interested?" Logan questioned. 

"No, I-" He pauses, "I just didn't like feeling like a freak all the time." He muttered into his mug.

Logan blinked, stunned by Scott's words. He opens his mouth to assure the kid, but instead kept it shut. He looks into his own mug. Did he actually felt that way?

The day drawn on from there. They drove for miles, made a few couple of stops for bathroom proposes or to refill gas and only once for food. During the whole ride, the kid was out. The words of what he said earlier at the diner still remained in his mind. It was usual for mutant kids to feel like a monster, but Summers? He always believed that Summers was the perfect child that had the perfect life and everything. It makes sense since the man couldn’t take his glasses off without destroying something. He heard from Jean about his self-loathing, but never thought about it until now.

_'Logan, I need to speak to you'_ Jean's voice suddenly rang in his head, snapping Logan from his thoughts. 

_'Jean?'_

_'I need you to meet me at Junior's Club’_

_'Why?'_ He sits there waiting for an answer that did not come. He sighed. 

"Is there something wrong?" Scott questions, noticing the troubled look that had dawned on Logan’s face.

"We're makin' a quick stop somewhere," Logan replied, making a sharp turn to an exit.

Scott nodded. "Fine by me."

* * *

"We're stopping here," Logan told him.

Scott peered through the window and frowned. "Another bar?"

"I haven't had my daily beer yet," Logan replied, turning off the car engine and exiting the car. Scott exited the car and followed Logan from behind.

"You know alcohol is bad for you right?" Scott said.

Logan rolled his eyes. "Can't harm me. Maybe you should try it for once," he suggested.

"I rather not," Scott said, scrunching up his nose. "Plus I'm underage."

"With the crap you're about to deal with when you get to that school, you'll need a drink," Logan said, walking towards the two-story white colored brick building. Neon lights flashed from the windows and a red neon sign hang from a pole that read 'Junior's Club.'

"What does that mean?" Scott countered.

"You'll find out soon enough," Logan's only reply as he walked into the building.

Definitely different from the bar they met together in. The club had a futuristic type look to it, with white walls and red neon lights flashing different designs every second. A group of people crowded at the black dance floor with white lights shone over them while others resided at the tables and couches placed throughout the club. The disc jockey blasted music that vibrated off the white walls. Scott scrunched his nose at the smell of alcohol and sweat in the air.

"This is a nightclub," Scott stated.

"Closest one here," Logan replied. Logan set his eyes on the bar counter. "Find a seat. I'll be back."

Scott shook his head. "I'm too young to be here," Scott said.

"You're only three years away. Just find a seat."

"Don't they check people?"

"Only if ya order a drink. You ain't gettin' anything are ya?" Logan questions, glancing down at Scott.

"No, but-"

"Exactly, find a seat."

As they parted ways, Scott began to search for an empty table. Being at a crowded bar, he knew there would be trouble finding a free table. The smell of alcohol and drunk men sickened him. He felt nauseous as he passed through another group of people and the scent grew stronger. Finding no available couches or tables, he frowned. _'Seriously? Why are we even in here?'_

"Looking for a seat?" a man asked. He looks at the man puzzled. The man seemed to be around his mid-twenties. The young man had pale skin with a little golden undertone to it, light brown hair that was combed over to the right side and round dark brown eyes that added to his attractive appearance. The man wore a brown leather jacket, with a black t-shirt underneath and plain jeans to follow. Scott caught himself staring at the man's face longer than he expected. Maybe a bit too absorbed in the man's appearance.

Scott stared at him blankly. "Uh..."

"I can share this table if you want," the man suggested. Scott nodded and whispered a small 'thank you' before taking a seat across the man. The man held out his hand and smiled, bringing a pink blush across Scott's face. "Damien."

"S-Scott," Scott replied, taking Damien's firm hand and shook it.

"Nice sunglasses," Damien commented.

"Thank you," Scott said with a small sheepish grin on his face.

It goes quiet between the two. Scott lowers his head to avoid meeting Damien's eyes, but he kept stealing glances over at him. Damien flashed him a smile.

"Want a drink?" Damien offered.

Scott shook his head. "No, I'm not allowed to drink."

"What you're underage?" Damien questions. Scott nodded. Damien seemed impressed. "How old?"

"Eighteen."

"A little rebel, huh?" Damien mused. He chuckled. "Who brought you here?"

"A man," Scott replied. He glances over to him talking to the redhead woman with the sparkling green dress. Jealousy burned deep inside his chest. He didn't know if he envied the lady because he was talking to her or that he preferred a beautiful lady instead of a lanky teenage boy like him. 

"Is it him over there talking to the red head?" Damien questioned, pointing at Logan. "Did he leave you?"

"No. Well...he said he was getting a drink," Scott told him, he turned his attention back to Damien.

"Seemed like he lied," Damien said. "Do you like him?"

"W-What makes you think that?" He stuttered, his face turning red.

Damien chuckled. "It's pretty obvious, you're blushing, for one and two, you're not denying it," Damien replied.

Was it that obvious? Does Logan know? "Just a little bit," Scott admitted, but he knew that was a lie.

"Why go for a old man like him? Why not choose someone younger?"

"Like you?" Scott suggested, raising his eyebrow.

Damien grinned. "I'll order you something. Do you like iced tea?" Damien asked.

"They serve non-alcoholic drinks here?" Scott questioned.

"Of course!" Damien waved for the waiter to come near. He whispered something in the pudgy waiter's ear and the waiter ran off to fetch him his drink. Scott still stated at Damien, still unsure about the drink that the young man was about to order him. Damien looked back and chuckled, that cocky grin still on his face.

"I promise, no alcohol," Damon promised.

Scott frowned. "Okay, no alcohol," Scott agreed.

"Here you are sir." The waiter placed the tall glass on the table. Damien handed him a bill and the waiter walked off.

"Here. Drink up," Damien said, sliding the glass to him.

Scott stared at the glass with suspicion. He recalled hearing from classmates of spiked drinks in clubs. "It's a tall glass," he mentioned.

"You're very skeptical of things aren't you?" Damien questioned.

Scott shrugged. "Good to know your surroundings." He swished the straw around. "What is this called again?"

"Long Island Ice Tea," Damien answered.

"Can you taste it?"

"Sure." Bringing the glass to his lips, he drank down a significant amount of the liquid. He pulled the glass away. "See? Didn't spike it. I'm not that type of person."

He hands Scott back the glass. Scott stared at it, a bit embarrassed, but still suspicious of the liquid. He looks back at Damien then back at the glass. It looked harmless and Damien didn't faint like he expected him to. He brings the straw to his lips and drank down the content of the glass. From the corner of his eyes, he sees Damien grin.

* * *

The two of them split, leaving Logan to wander off around the club to find a certain redhead. The music was deafening to his ears and the bright lights gave him a headache. It was strange place for Jean to bring him too. He’s never been fond of crowded spaces, he’s surprised that Jean suggested a nightclub. Whatever it is, had to be urgent. 

He heads to the counter bar to find any luck. The bar counter was less crowded and he scanned the attendees to see anyone that looked similar to Jean. He orders himself a beer and waits patiently for his drink to arrive. A short woman comes and stands next to him. The woman was young, probably in her late twenties with short red curly hair that reached to her chin, bright green eyes and creamed colored skin with freckles on her face. She wore a green sparkled maxi dress that reached down to her knees. She orders herself some wine. 

He glanced over at the redhead. "Did you steal someone's body?"

Her lips crawled into a smirk. "I wouldn't say steal, more like borrow." She takes a sip from her wine glass, leaving a faint red lipstick mark on the glass.

"Mind control?" He frowned at the thought of that.

"Don't worry she agreed to it," she added.

He sighed into his mug, took a sip and set it on the counter. "So what do you want?" he asked.

"I wanted to see how you two are doing," she said.

"You can read my thoughts," Logan said.

"Barely," she scoffed. "He's really fond of you. Do you like him?"

Logan shrugged. "He's growing on me. He doesn't tell me what to do, still annoying though."

She smiled. "Well that's better than you hating him," she replied. She rose the glass to her lips.

"What's the real reason you're here?"

She paused. She sets the glass down on the counter. Her jaw tighten. "Remember when I told you there are people looking for him? I communicated with a hacker. I had them search through the internet. That's where most of them communicate."

"Who's interested?"

"Lots of sick people," Jean answered. "I don't know the specific reasons, but I'm worried."

"You don't think I can protect him?"

Even though she didn't say it, her eyes gave it away. Instead, she replied with, "They're really eager to get him."

"What makes them think he's Scott Summers?"

"I believe there is someone else who knows about him other than us."

"Anyone from the mansion made a connection to the video?"

"Some mutants have the same ability, they might think it's a random mutant child.” 

"If Professor X was able to come back to life, don't they believe Summers can too?"

"Even if they tried to find him, they won't. I made sure the professor couldn't track him through Cerebro."

He gazed back at the glass mug, staring at the warm amber liquid. There was a burning question in his mind. Should he...?

_ 'Oh what the hell' _

"Do you know a man named Jack Winters?" Logan asked.

She shot him a surprised look. "How do you know that name?"

"The kid mentioned him when we first met. He asked me if I knew the guy." Logan explained. "Who is he?"

She hesitates, thumbing the rim of the glass and bits her lips. "He was Scott's foster father. He wasn't the best father out there and he is a criminal that used Scott as an accomplice for his crimes."

"Does he have any connection to any criminal organizations?"

"No. He had two companions, that's all I know. I- Scott never told me too much about his past."

"So I'm guessing we don't have an idea where this man is?"

"No." She sets the empty glass on the counter and pushes it aside. She doesn’t look at Logan just stares at the marble counter. "If we want to avoid a conflict, bring him to the school as fast as possible."

"I rather go at my own pace. You don't believe I could protect him, do ya?"

"Are you going to leave once you bring him to the mansion?" she questions, changing the subject.

"Yeah. Why would I stay?"

"Just please bring him to the mansion as quickly as possible."

"He's gonna get there, nothing's gonna happen to him,” he assured her. 

"I hope so,” she mumbled. She tears her eyes away from the counter and looks at Logan. "I have to go."

Just like that, she was gone, lost in the crowd of people on the dance floor. Logan sighed, gulped down the rest of his beer and set it on the counter. He slides the bartender a couple of dollars then turned around to look for Scott. He remembered earlier seeing Scott heading towards the seating area. He searches the area, finding only drunk men and women, no signs of Scott anywhere. 

"Scott?" he calls out. 

No response. He calls out his name again.

"Scott?"

'Where the hell is he?'

He scans the group of partygoers, from the people on the dance floor to the one coming in and out of the bathroom. He walks around the club a couple of times, each time leading to nothing. His heart starts racing and he really hopes the kid isn't gone. He goes back to the seating area. He sees a waiter and pulls the man to the side.

"Have you seen a teenage boy with red-lensed glasses anywhere?" he asked the pudgy waiter. The waiter's eyes averted away from him.

"Red lenses? I...don't know." 

"Do you have something to hide?" he questions, stepping closer to the waiter. 

"Why would I? I barely look at the customers," the waiter replied. He can hear the shaking in his voice and the bug-eyes looking everywhere but at him

He frowned. Gripping the waiter’s collar and lifts him off the ground. "I can tell you're lying. Where is he?" The grip on the waiter’s collar grew tighter.

"Wait!” he choked out. “I saw him walk out with another man.”

He narrowed his eyes. “When?"

"A few seconds ago."

His heart drop. No, there's no way the kid would have left the club without him. Someone could have…

“Shit.”

He lets go of the waiter and bolts towards the exit door. 

* * *

Damien flashed fake smiles as he walked out of the club with a drunken teenage boy. The drugs worked faster than he had expected and it seemed like everything was slowly coming to plan. All he had to do was find his car, shove the teen into the back seat and drive off back to headquarters. He keeps the teenager steady, he placed the Scott’s arm around his neck while Damien’s arm was around his waist. The kid had let out fits of giggles from time to time and was babbling nonsense as they strolled the parking lot. 

"You're pretty easy to catch. I don't see how Winters had a hard time searching for you," Damien commented.

"I like you..."

Damien rolled his eyes playfully. "Thanks, I'm honored."

The kid giggled. 

"Who knew just slipping you a mickey can make it easier to catch you? I was expecting for you to drink the whole thing, but a quarter of it is good enough."

"Hey you miss my carrr."

"Car, huh?" He stops and looks at the rusty blue pickup truck. He studied the license plate number in his head and kept heading towards his vehicle. "Don't worry, Scotty, I have something better than a shitty pickup truck. Let just hope your little boyfriend don't come and-"

"Scott!" a voice called out. 

"Spoke too soon, Damien."

He turns to see the man that Scott pointed to earlier in the club. Seeing him up close, he can see that the man was taller, bigger and much older up close. He resembled a feral beast in Damien’s mind with the unruly hair and beard. His face was contorted into an angry snarl and his fist was clenched.

"Sorry, bub, but he doesn't belong to you."

"I don't think he really belongs to anyone." Then it clicked. He remembered seeing photos of the man in Japan. ‘So this is the mighty Wolverine, huh?’

"He came here with me, he's leavin' with me," Logan told him. 

"You sure?" Damien questioned in a mocking tone. "I saw you flirting with some redhead, I thought he was up for grabs."

The man gritted his teeth. "Let. Go. Of. Him," he snarled.

"Honestly I like to see you try and-"

In a swift movement, he punched Damon across the jaw, sending him to the ground with a thud and knocking him out cold. He nearly forgot how strong his punches were with bones laced with metal. He grabs Scott in time before he fell to the ground and tossed Scott's arm over his neck. He trots to the car and sits Scott carefully on the seat. He buckles his seatbelt and goes to the driver seat.

He gives the kid a guilty look and whispers, "I'm so fucking sorry, Scott." before turning on the ignition and driving off to a motel.

* * *

Logan takes him to a fast food restaurant and orders Scott a large fry and a bottle of water, hoping that it would sober the kid up a little. 

He handed the fries to him. "Here."

Scott stared at the fries, picked one up to examine it. He took a bite then slumped back into the car seat. He shoved the rest of the fry in his mouth, savoring the taste with a tiny moan leaving his lips. He then grabs a handful of fries and devoured the fries, shoving them in his mouth trying to eat it all at once.

Logan smacks the kid's hand. Scott stared at the fry on his lap then glared at him. "Yer gonna choke if ya keep shovin' fries in yer mouth."

The kid stares at him for a few second before returning to eat the fries to cure his obvious hunger. The rest of the ride was quiet, the only sound was the low humming emitting from the radio. Road after road, Logan cursed him wishing to find a motel already. He glanced over to the young passenger. Somewhere along the ride Scott fell asleep. Logan directed his attention back to the road. A green sign showed up. A motel five miles away at the next exit. He sighed with relief.

Scott's eyes slowly opened as they reached the motel parking lot. He looked around confused about his current location. Logan figured the fries actually helped sober the kid up a little, but the smell of alcohol still radiated off the kid.

The engine turns off and Logan steps out of the car. He darts to the management building, steals a random key and rushes back to the car.

"Get out," he ordered.

A small moan emits from the kid's mouth, his head lolling in the car seat. Logan rolled his eyes, his patience running out. He unbuckled the seatbelt, slipped one arm under his arms and one under his legs. Scott was light, much to Logan's surprise, weighing close to nothing in his opinion. He carried the kid bridal style to the room. Scott is still in a drunken stupor, his head lolling around Logan's arms and mumbling random nonsense that included the words 'love' and 'us'.

Once they got into the motel room, he drops Scott on the large bed, locks the door and checks the cabinet for anything that has been left over. There's no cup, no advil or any food to help the kid's drunken state. He frowns and closed the cabinet and heads to the fridge. There's a small bottle of orange juice that's half empty and an uneaten chocolate bar left over. He figured the orange juice would soothe Scott a little when he wakes up and the chocolate bar would help take care of the hangover he'll get in the morning.

Closing the fridge, he sees Scott asleep. He sighs with annoyance and massages his temple. He goes to the bed, pulls down the covers, picks up the kid then rest him back on the bed and pulls the covers over the kid.

He sat on the corner of the bed, exhausted, now plotting what to do next in his head. Whoever got him drunk probably was one of the men looking for him. 'Jack Winters probably got men everywhere. ' _Gotta be more careful next time.'_ How careful did they had to be? He knew nothing of Jack Winters based off the facts Jean gave him and Scott is less than willing to share anything about him. All he knew he needed to get Scott to the X mansion as fast as possible. Then he can leave the kid there and let him be Chuck's problem.

He laid on the bed and pondered about the situation further. How did they know they were going to that specific club? Did Jean knew they were there? Was that man even working for Jack Winters? How much does Jean even know? So many questions in his head that he had no answers to.

He glances back over to the sleeping boy. He listens to the steady breathing and watch as the kid's chest rise up and down. Just an hour ago he almost lost the kid. He was stupid enough to let the kid out of his sight, stupid enough not to have just took him straight to the mansion on day one, but why was he delaying this trip? He could of easily just drove the kid to New York when he met him at the bar. It would've only taken a day and the only breaks they would have would be bathroom breaks, a couple of stops at fast food restaurants and to refill gas. He didn't had to go spend money on diners or motel rooms. Maybe this is his own way of making it up to the older Scott Summer for being a jerk towards him when he was alive. Or maybe his own way of getting to know Scott better than he did before. There's a lot the kid still hasn't told him and Logan only managed to scratch the surface of the truth. Though, he wondered, why bother wasting developing a relationship with him if he was just going to abandon Scott at the mansion? It would just leave Scott disappointed and upset and leave Logan filled with guilt.

_ 'Ain't a good idea to bring him in drunk, I'll deal with this tomorrow.' _

He tosses his leather jacket onto the floor and does his best to fall asleep, but his eyes open again as he feels a body on top of him. Through the dark he could see Scott straddling him. He turned on the table lamp and frowned.

"What are you doing?" Scott is looking down at him, the scent of alcohol all over him and probably still in a drunken phase.

"I wanna touch you," Scott replied. He reaches out to touch him. He caresses his face. "You're really...I like your face."

"Thanks for the confidence boost," Logan said sarcastically. The soft touch against him makes his skin flush and the feeling in his pants warm.

"You're strong and big and..." his voiced trailed off, his attention drifting away from his face and towards his arms.

"Way out of yer league," Logan interjects, narrowing his eyes.

A chuckle. "I don't know...maybe I like I like big strong men." His thumb trailed along his arm, squeezing at his muscles. The smell of alcohol and lust was intoxicating to his senses.

Logan took one deep breath, narrowing his eyes. "You should stop," he warned.

"Why? I just having fun." His voice slurred. This shouldn't be happening.

"You're drunk," he replied. The kid slowly starts to rub his crotch against his. This definitely shouldn't be happening.

"Barelly. I can make cohairent sentence," he mumbled. Scott managed to get his fingers under his wife beater and caresses his chest, teasing the now hardened nipples.

He grabs Scott's wrist, his heartbeat fiercely hammering against Logan's thumb. "Well you're not thinking straight," he said firmly.

"I’m not. I like you," he stated.

He blinked. This shouldn't be happening. This kid shouldn't be liking him, this kid shouldn't even be into men, this kid should be into soft, gentle women instead of rough, hairy men like him, especially since he has barely any self control when it comes to this stuff. Logan can't tell if it's the alcohol making Scott spit out random nonsense or aiding him in telling the truth.

Scott took his index finger into his mouth, sucking the tips. Muffled moans escaped from Scott's lips then he slipped Logan's middle finger into his mouth. He's getting Logan's fingers warm and wet; he's trying everything to not be turned on by all this, but the bulge in his pants was hard to ignore and the smell of lust from Scott was filling his senses. This all felt like a fantasy, a really erotic fantasy like a teenage boy's wet dream because he always fantasized about being with the X Men's leader, except without the other being drunk.

"Shit," he cursed. He should have pushed Scott off of him already; his mind is telling him to, but his body yearns to this nice feeling, just allowing Scott to continue. He watches Scott pushes in two then three fingers into his hot wet mouth. He watches Scott doing his handy work, licking, sucking, letting out tiny moans driving him crazier by every second. He starts to move against the kid, creating a better friction for himself. A groan leave his lips. He shouldn't be enjoying this, he shouldn't be adding more fuel to the fire.

Another moan escapes Scott's lips as he pull out Logan's fingers from his mouth. Relief settled in as the grinding stopped, but he still yearned for that wet warmth.

Logan swallowed. Time to act like the bigger man. "Alright, yer done havin' yer fun?"

There's no reply. Instead he smashes his lips against his. It's sloppy, of course, but he's experienced worse kisses before and the kid was a solid six. A moan buzzed against his lips and he really wanted this to escalate further, but knowing that this kid was drunk knocked that out of the ballpark.

His tongue pressed against his lips and he allows the kid to explore his mouth. He could taste the alcohol dancing off of his tongue. He tilts his head, getting a better angle and earns another moan from the kid.

The smell of raging hormones mixed with strawberry scent was delicious, lust taunting him for not taking the bait, for not allowing himself to indulge in such sexual pleasure, something he had been starved of for so long.

Amidst the pleasure of it all, he pulls away from the kiss. He closed his eyes.

"We should really stop," he said. "This is wrong."

"No it's not," Scott whined. He leans in to kiss him, but Logan stops him with his hand.

"Yer way too young. I don't usually go for partners this young," he explained. Scott pushes his hand away gently.

"Then I'll be your youngest boyfriend," he purred. He dips his head down, pulling them into another kiss.

Logan breaks off the kiss. "We can't-"

"So you don't want to do this?" Scott interrupted, his voice suddenly gone to a whisper.

"Look, you're too young-"

"I'm 18! I'm an adult! I want to have sex with you."

He froze, stunned by the kid's words. Surely, this had to be a dream, right? "You're drunk, I'm not gonna take advantage of you in this state," Logan told him.

"I don't care," he whined. "I want you."

He narrowed his eyes. "Trust me you don't."

"What makes you think that?" Scott questions, a sly smile on his face.

"Because I'm older than you, I'm twice your age."

"I like older men," Scott mused, twirling his finger in Logan's hair then trailing it down to his chest. "You have more experience and…I…I…I…like…that." Scott gives him another sloppy kiss before falling asleep on top of him.

He blinked. Did that just... Still stunned, he quietly pushes Scott off of him to the other side of the bed. He looks back at the sleeping Summers. He waits for the bulge in his pants to soften and tried to register what just happened. The kid liking him is obvious, knowing that the kid actually wanted to have sex with him, that he definitely didn't expect. His face burn and his chest felt warm like a hot spring. He brings his hand to his face and shook his head. 'He was drunk, it didn't mean anything', did it?

That experience though, it was... He shook his head. It meant nothing, no matter how good it was, it meant nothing.

Turning the lamp off, he laid there in darkness until slumber took over. There were a burning question that lingered. He wasn't really falling for Scott, is he?

* * *

Damien walked into the building, his hand clutching the side of his face where that man punched him. What was his name again? The Wolverine? He scoffed. Of course the Golden Serpents have to deal with the man that nearly crippled the Yakuza. To make things once, the Wolverine is also guarding their target.

"Mr. Braginsky," a woman acknowledged him. Damien rolled his eyes. _'It's Yao, not Braginsky.'_ He swear if someone calls him by his father's surname one more time, he's going to have every person in this building killed. He turns into the lunchroom, pulls out an ice pack from the fridge and headed to the elevator. He punches in the floor number and mentally prepares himself for his father. The ice pack soothed the pain a little.

The elevator stops and the door opens. He hesitates. Did he really want to go through the trouble and deal with his father? He's better off being burned alive instead. He drops the ice pack on the floor and heads down the hallway.

As he approached the dreaded steel doors, the faint sounds of grunts and hard punches can be heard. He enters the room, a cold chilling draft settled in. He sees a man on the floor, cowering in fear and face bloodied. Two bodyguards watched as the white-blond haired man angrily beats the man with a cane. Adding one more sickening crunch, he then tosses the blood stained cane to the side.

"Carry him away!" Carter ordered. The bodyguards pulled the beaten man away, leaving a red trail on the granite floor. Carter pulls out a silk towel from his desk and wiped his bloodied hands and the blood spatter on his pale face. Discarding the towel aside, he looks at Damien. "Son."

"Damien," he corrected.

"Do you have him?"

"Well, I did find him then I sort of...lost him?"

"What do you mean you lost him?" Carter snapped.

Damien rolled his eyes. It seems like everyone had to go shit on Damien today. "I had him then this big guy came over and knocked me out," Damien explained. There's definitely a bruise forming on his cheek.

Carter rolled his eyes. "Why did you allow him to punch you? What were you doing? You should have took the boy and ran."

"I did take him outside then he found us," Damien retorted.

"Can't you do one thing right?" he growled, disgust heavy in his voice. Carter shook his head, fist clenched on the desktop table. "He's going to be pissed."

Damien crossed his arms. "If he really wants him, he could go get him himself," Damien grumbled.

"Are you stupid? You know why," Carter scolded.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Carter's face screwed up with anger. "You have no consider-"

"Don't worry, I placed a tracking device on their car. We can track their location right now."

His father looked at him impressed. "Guess you're not much of a disappointment as I thought you were." He turned to the window and waved his son off. "Go on, watch their movements. When a perfect opportunity comes up, we strike."

Damien's lips drew back to a snarl. "You're welcome," Damien sneered.

Leaving the room, he checks his phone. The red dot blinking rapidly. He grins as his plan starts to form.


	4. Chapter 4

Logan woke up to the sound of Scott running to the bathroom, a series of gagging followed and finally the sound of the toilet being flushed. Opening his eyes, he stared at the bathroom door. The events of yesterday left him troubled. It had only been day three and the kid nearly got kidnapped on his watch. If Jean had stayed a little bit longer, Scott would've been gone, possibly never to be seen again.

Scott exists out of the bathroom with a pale face. He sauntered over to the desk chair and slumped down on it. He buries his face in his hands and lets out an aching groan.

"Hangover?" Logan questioned, sitting up from the bed.

Scott winced when he turned to him. "I think so," he replied with a whisper. "Do you have any advil?"

He shook his head which earned a groaned in response. "Though, I do have somethin' for ya."

Going to the fridge, Logan takes out the orange juice and chocolate. He takes a foam cup and fills it with the orange juice. "Here."

"Thanks," Scott mumbled bitterly as he took a sip of juice then winced as he sets the cup down on the wooden dresser.

The faint smell of alcohol still lingered on Scott, reminding Logan even more of his failure to protect Scott."You smell like alcohol. Go take a shower."

"My head hurts," he whined.

"That's yer fault, shouldn't have drunk so much last night."

"But I only had iced tea, I would never drink alcohol."

"Ya sure? Because you were pretty drunk last night," Logan told him. He remembered the feel of having Scott on top of him and the drunk confessions he blurted out.

"I was?" Scott questioned, looking at him curiously.

He nodded then sat on the bed. "What exactly did you drink?"

"It was called Long Island Iced Tea," Scott replied.

"Did you order it?"

"No. This man let me sit with him and ordered it for me," he explained.

"What did it taste like?"

He drinks the rest of the orange juice and began unwrapping the chocolate bar. "Like iced tea, but a bit strong and tasted a bit salty. Do you think he drugged me?"

"Seems like it."

It was a fucked up thing to think about, but he hoped it was just some creep trying to get into Scott's pants instead of trying to kidnap him and sell him to a psychotic adopted father.

"You don't think he was going to...?" He let the sentence trailed off, but Logan knew what he meant.

"For his sake, I hope not."

"Sorry for acting stupid. I was looking for a table for us and he asked for me to come then he started flirting with me, I never noticed if he slip something in my drink, I-"

"Stop," he said. "Just, stop, talkin'. It ain't yer fault, alright? Any chance you got his name?" Scott shook his head.

"I don't remember. Sorry."

"Well take a nap then take a shower, we'll hit the road afterward."

He was hopeful that the kid offered no protest, just simply nodded and crawled into the bed. Once Scott was in bed, Logan took his place on the chair. Massaging his temples, he began formulating a plan for the day.

\---------

After Scott had woken up and taken a shower, they headed out. The smell of alcohol had faded away from Scott after the shower instead smelling more like a regular teenage boy. No, not regular, Scott was far from a regular normal teenage boy and definitely had a more pleasant and unique scent than most teenagers. His scent was...intoxicating. Last night he was practically drowning in Scott's scent. It reminded him so much of Summers; the nights they would use to spend time in each other's room, comforting each other over Jean's death. Nothing had accelerated from there, just constant reassurance from Logan to Scott about how everything will be alright. Though he knew better than to take advantage of a grieving man.

Then the reminder of last night came crowding in his mind again. His drunk confession had left him by surprised because he never took Summers as the type to swing both ways nor ever have a thing for Logan.

When they reached a red light, Logan took a quick glance over to Scott. The kid was flickering at the window switch again, opening and closing the window again and again.

Logan frowned. "Do ya mind?"

Scott stopped and peered over at Logan. "Sorry."

"Why do ya keep doin' that anyway?"

"It keeps me calm."

He rolled his eyes. Of course, it does.

A few minutes of silence had passed as Logan kept driving to find a fast food place.

Scott asked, "No offense, but when will we reach the mansion?"

"Why ya askin'? In a rush?" Logan questioned.

Scott shook his head and looked at the window. "No, but wouldn't be ideal to get there as soon as possible?"

"Actually we're headin' there right now," Logan said.

Scott gave Logan a surprised look and titled his head. "All ready?" Scott questioned.

"Why? I thought ya wanted to go," Logan replied.

"I-I do, but..." Scott trailed off at first, glancing over at the window again. "I wanted to explore the country a bit more."

"This isn't some road trip, kid, I'm simply takin' ya to the mansion and that's it," Logan told him. The faster they get there, the faster he can get rid of the kid and not be reminded of anything X-Men related.

"It's been three days and we've been staying at motels and going to diners, sounds like a road trip to me," Scott replied.

"Sorry to burst yer bubble, but it ain't. If ya wanna go exploring, go hitchhike with some other drivers."

"I rather explore with you."

Of course he did. Of course, he fucking did.

"Why is that?" Logan asked and it felt like he said it through gritted teeth. He didn't know why he felt a strange animosity towards the kid, but right now he wanted Scott to stop talking and stop trying to be friends with him.

"Um..." Scott began and Logan felt more pissed off than before.

"Well?" He said impatiently, tapping the car wheel.

"I just like being around you." "Not that I like you, I just, you're the only person who bothered taking me places."

"Yer adopted father never bother takin' ya anywhere?" Scott shook his head. "Should I feel honored?"

"I..." Scott changed the subject. "I'm kind of hungry, can we stop at a diner?"

Logan didn't bother wasting time on going to a diner instead stopped at a drive-thru and brought the kid a breakfast sandwich. Scott seemed a bit disappointed about the decision than just settled on eating the fast food sandwich.

Scott took a sip from his juice then turned to Logan and asked him yet another question, "Are you planning on staying at the mansion?"

"Why would I?" It came out harsher than he expected almost like a sneer. Regretting immediately at his tone of voice, he added, "No point in it. Be better if I didn't stay."

"Why is that?" Scott questioned, tilting his head slightly and giving him a curious glance.

"Because whenever I'm there, people get hurt, kid. I don't want that happening to you again," Logan explained.

"I've been with you for 2 days and I haven't been hurt," Scott pointed out.

"You got drunk," Logan pointed out. "I left ya alone in an unfamiliar place and some stranger nearly kidnapped ya. He was already in the parkin' lot when I found you."

"But, I was the one who decided to sit with him and I drank something he ordered me, in a nightclub. All which are my decisions and my poor sense of judgment."

"If I was there, that wouldn't have happened."

"So you really not going to stay?" Scott questioned, again changing the damn subject.

Logan frowned and gripped the car wheel. "Just finish your breakfast."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a lot shorter and I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible. I finally figured out how I wanted the story to go and I hope I can update more frequently now. (Sadly school and work get in the way of that).


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back, I didn't give up on this story. School and mental health issues have prevented me from writing and updating like I should, I'm so sorry!! I also wrote other fanfictions to help me overcome writer's block. I'm also working on chapter 2 of "Time After Time" and a sequal to "Unrequited" along with drabbles for "Everybody Loves Scott". I'm so sorry for the long wait :(

It took 5 hours for them to cross to the state of Illinois, most of the hours spent in busy traffic. Scott slipped in and out of sleep. He slept most of the way to Illinois, though a few times he woke up to only see traffic and barely any progress. In Logan's head, he cursed and secretly yearned for a cigar or a swing of beer right now. The sounds of blaring horns and road raged driver didn't make this journey less agitating for him.

  
During the drive, his mind wandered to Jean. There were no traces of her meddling inside his head last night. He hoped to learn more information about Jack Winters or any organizations hunting for Scott. The fact that Scott was being secretive and barely providing him any information about his past or Jack Winters was infuriating him. Right now he was basing most of his decisions on his gut and the little information he knows. Bringing Scott to the mansion was still his main objective, but slowly became less of a concern to him. He believed that a kid with a messed up childhood shouldn't be placed into another unstable situation and the mansion definitely isn't a place filled with sunshine and happiness.

  
Logan glances over to the fuel meter. The red arrow was nearly on empty and he cursed himself for not stopping to fill up gas when he had the chance. He took the next exit to a nearby town. Fewer and fewer cars appeared on the road as he drove further down. The car began to slow down rapidly. Gripping the car wheel, he directs the car towards the side of the road. The car spits out a couple of sputters before completely shutting off.

  
"Shit."

  
He looks over to Scott, who was still sleeping peacefully. Well, he thought he was sleeping. He pressed his forehead against the car wheel. He could feel a splitting headache creeping in.

  
_'You know Logan, if you needed my help, you could've of said so'_

  
' _Charles_?' He frowned. ' _Well that explains the headache. What are you doin' in my head?'_

_  
'I sensed you were in trouble.'_

_  
'I got this under control.'_

_  
'You're stranded.'_

_  
'I said I got this.'_

_  
'I'll be sending Storm and Shadowcat at your location.'_

  
His frown deepened, but he wasn't opposed to it. It's a quicker way to bring Scott to the mansion without the risk of putting him in any more danger. Then once he drops Scott, the kid would be out of his life and he could return back to his reclusive lifestyle.

  
' _Sorry Jeannie for breaking yer promise.'_  
Logan sat there in silence. Only two other cars had driven past them. He took short glimpses over to Scott. The kid was still asleep. He figured he could wait until Ororo and Kitty arrived.

  
After a couple of minutes in silence, Scott lets out a soft groan and moves groggily in his seat. He looked around, furrowed his eyebrow then tilted his head after looking around a bit more. "Why aren't we moving?" he asked.

  
"Car broke down," Logan answered simply. "Help is on its way though."

  
"How long have we've been stranded here?" Scott questioned, the curious look lingered on his face as he again scanned his surroundings.

  
"30 minutes."

  
"And you didn't bother to wake me up."

  
"You were sleepin', didn't want to wake ya up." ' _Plus yer too damn cute when you sleep.'_

  
"This car is old, it's from the 70s, I'm not surprised it broke down," Scott stated, now locking eyes with Logan.

  
"Funny you said that because it's yours," Logan mused.

  
Scott shook his head, like what Logan said was wrong. "I wasn't even born in the 70s."

  
He shrugged. "Guess yer future self had a thing for old cars."

  
"He had a poor taste then." Scott said, scrunching up his nose.

  
Logan chuckled at that. Scott looked at him confused first then his face lit up as a grin crawled onto his face and he lets out a tiny laugh. For a minute the two stare at each other. The grin fades from Scott's face and his face is unreadable. His eyes fell on the kid's lips, full lush lips that he felt a yearn to kiss. Scott licked his lips, a blush crossed his face and turned away. Logan frowned and face the front, feeling quite disappointed with himself.

  
"Is that help?" Scott questioned, pointing to the front view mirror.

  
"What?" He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the side-view mirror. His hand was already on the door handle. "Scott, stay here."

  
Scott didn't say anything. He nodded and peered from the window, looking at Logan with curiosity and worry.

  
Two cars had parked near them, already brewing a suspicion in him. He watched as four men exited the vehicles. They were dressed in a raggedy blue jumpsuit with a name tag for each person, but their scent related nothing to oil or gas. Instead, there was a more metallic scent and too much cologne mixed in. Their clean-cut appearance aroused more suspicion.

  
"You lost?" Logan asked. He eyed the men carefully.

  
One men stepped forward. "We heard someone needed car trouble?"

  
"I didn't call for one," he said, narrowing his eyes.

  
"Someone notified us about a broken down car around here," another replied. The other men nodded in agreement.

  
"Really? Someone was that concerned about me that they would call you?" Logan questioned. The few cars that had past by never stopped to ask for help and neither of them seems interested in helping them.

  
"You have a son?" one asked, peering to the car.

  
He looked back to see Scott staring back at them. He then looked back at the men. "Why do you care?"

  
"You don't have to be hostile, we just offering help."

  
His eyes fell to the holsters each man had. He narrowed his eyes and looked back at the men. "Two cars pulled up for 'help', four men came. Can you see why I am hostile?"

  
Another stepped forward and Logan took a step back. "You have every right to be, but you should probably let us check out your car."

  
"Fine." He stepped away. They all looked at each other nervously before one started to walk towards the car. Logan clenched his fist and glanced over to him. "But first, drop your guns."

  
The man froze and looked at him, eyes widen from shock. He quickly recovers as his hands darts to his holster and the other men followed suit.

  
Everything goes silent for a moment, everything slows down. Logan closed his eyes and lets out a deep breath, fists still clenched.

  
_Snikt_!

The men whipped out their guns, shooting immediately at Logan. He dodged the first couple of bullets, one gaze past his arm and one nearly missing his temple. He attacked the man behind him, the one closest to the car. He swung once. The man went down with a cry, dropping the gun with him. More bullets came at him. He flung himself out of the way, quickly stood up and lunge himself towards one of the men.

* * *

From Scott's point of view, everything was chaotic. When the men began shooting, a few bullets hit the car, putting dents in the back window and one narrowly missing his ear. He unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed the car door opened and rolled out of the car. Taking cover, he peered from the side of the vehicle. The men continued to shoot at Logan, none of them paying him any attention.  
Scott tread carefully to the edge of the car. Another man collapsed to the floor with a slit throat. He shuddered seeing the blood spew out of the man's neck. He pushed that grisly image to the back of his mind then turned his attention to the ongoing fight. One man continued shooting at Logan while the other headed to the car with a phone to his ear. Scott narrowed his eyes.

  
He angled his head to the car mirror, lets out a deep breath and lift his glasses. He shuts his eyes just as quick as he opened them and put his glasses back on. When Scott open his eyes, he sees one man knocked unconscious on the ground near the car, the phone laid next to him. He hears a strangled scream and the fourth man crashes to the ground with a stab wound in his stomach. Scott got up from behind the car and jogged towards Logan. Logan doesn't say anything when Scott approaches him instead sheathing back his claws.

  
"Are you okay?" Scott asked, looking at Logan's bloody hands before looking at his fave.

  
"I told ya to stay in the car!" Logan snapped.

  
Scott looked at him stunned. "They shot you!" He nearly shouted.

  
"I have a healin' factor," Logan reminded him, though that didn't help calm Scott down.

  
He was visibly shaking. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the dead bodies that laid sprawled on the road. The amount of blood that covered the men and the road made him nauseous and left an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

  
Focusing his attention to something less gruesome, the bullet wounds that mutilated Logan's back and chest averted his attention away from the bodies. He frowned, still seeing the many wounds on the man's body. 

  
"It doesn't seem to be healing!" Scott countered.

  
"It takes awhile," Logan told him.

  
"I saw him call for backup," Scott mentioned. "I think they might be coming soon."

  
"Of course they called for backup," he grumbled, mostly to himself. He grabbed Scott's wrist, yanking him forward. "Come on, I need to get you out of here."  
Scott flinched and pulled his hand away. Logan shot him a weird look.

  
"I need to get my bag," Scott reminded him. Without letting Logan say anything, Scott went to the car and grabbed his bag.

  
"Is help still coming?" Scott asked.

  
"Yeah, they are, kid."

  
Even though Scott never asked who was coming, he knew it was the X-Men. He wonders how they'll be able to track them since neither Logan and him barely know where they are precisely.  
"Can we check the car?" Scott questioned.

  
Logan frowned. "Why?"

  
"Don't you want to know how they found us?" Scott asked.

  
"Does it matter? They found us once, we don't want them to find us again," Logan told him.

  
"What if they put a tracker on us? Or on the car?"

  
"Do you have a tracker on ya?"

  
Scott hesitated. As much as Winters was possessive, he never went far enough to put a tracker on him. "I...Winters wouldn't."

  
"The man from yesterday probably did," Logan pointed out.

  
"I took a shower and I didn't find anything on me," Scott answered.

  
"The car then," Logan said. "Probably put one when we were inside that club."

  
Scott glanced over to the hood of the car.

"Should we check?"

  
"I will."

  
Logan opened the hood of the car while Scott watched with caution. Placed on the car battery they found it, a small device with a red blinking light. Scott felt his heart dropped and he stepped away from the vehicle.

  
"You were right. They did put a tracker on us," Logan said. Releasing his claws, he destroyed the tracking device along with the battery and engines. He closed the hood and stepped away from the vehicle. He turned to Scott. "You know, we have to talk."

  
"About what?" Scott questioned. He knew what Logan meant.

  
"Winters. Figured we can start talkin' while we're walkin'," Logan suggested.

  
"You think Winters sent them?" Scott asked.

  
"Probably," Logan shrugged. "Then again, I barely know anythin' about him."

  
Scott bit his lips. He knew Winters was a complicated man just as his memories. He's a criminal, a petty criminal that took him in when no one would. He's rich, owns a nice house filled with stolen goods and works with sketchy men and women. Scott was both special and a nuisance to Winters, special for his powers making him useful to Winters to carry out crime. A nuisance to Winters because he couldn't carry out any of his crimes or follow his rules.

  
Scott stared at his shoes. "Jack Winters is a criminal. He steals things and sometimes worked with other individuals." He then looked back up at Logan. "I don't know if he works with criminal originations, but this doesn't seem like him."

  
"Scott, the last time he saw you were twenty years ago, things change," Logan told him.

  
"Then why would he want me?" Scott questioned. "Why would he come after me after twenty years? How would he even know that I exist?"

  
"There's a lot of questions that need to be answered, but..." Logan trailed off. He glanced over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes.

  
"Logan?" Scott's heart began to beat faster when the man didn't say anything. ' _Did backup come? Are they coming after us?'_

  
"They're here."

  
"Who's here?"

  
Logan looked back at Scott. "The X-Men." Scott let out a sigh of relief. "Follow me."

  
Scott nodded. He didn't bother reminding Logan of their previous conversation. He followed Logan down the road, his stomach stirring at the unknown future that's ahead of him. As much as Scott believed that Logan could protect him, that he will be safe in the mansion, he still lingered on the thoughts that Winters would find him. He would find him and force him under his wing again or return him back to Milbury. He shudders at the thought of Milbury. Scott shook his head. ' _It's been twenty years, surely he wouldn't..._ ' Then again he wasn't certain. Milbury is a clever, scary man, Scott knew that. ' _You should tell Logan about him_ ' his conscience tells him. ' _Later_ ' he thinks, ' _Later_ '.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking longer to update this chapter. I like to take all the people who read my story, you guys honestly are the reason why I keep going on for this story.

For the past twenty minutes, Scott followed Logan up the road. He walked behind him, struggling to keep up with the older mutant's pace. He noticed each time he managed to catch up to Logan, the man would walk faster. Neither men made mention of the attack earlier and the silence started to pain Scott. There's a lot of things Scott needed to talk about. Sooner or later, Scott knew he needed to explain about Jack Winters and any other malicious figures in his life. Then there's that big elephant in the room with Scott's crush on the older mutant. Scott doesn't know how he'll be able to approach either of those topics. Scott hope it will be easier at the mansion, but the secrecy is slowing killing him.

"Logan, do you know where we're going?" he asked.

"Yes, I do!" Logan snapped, causing Scott to flinch. Another thing Scott noticed, Logan's constant annoyance with him. Everything he did annoyed the man, even when he was being nice to him. Scott figured it had something to do with his older self. He could tell the relationship between the two wasn't the best. As far as Scott knew, he did nothing wrong.

Scott's previous relationship with Logan had always been a mystery to him. Logan had never went in depth with his other self's relationship. As much as Logan was annoyed with Scott ninety-percent of the time, Scott could tell that the man sort of liked him. Scott believed that if Logan despised him, Logan would've never agreed to rescue Scott. That belief Scott clung to. Scott knew that there's a probability that Logan only agreed because it was Jean's idea. Scott wondered if he had magically discovered Logan himself without Jean's assistance, would Logan bother to associate himself with Scott?Scott heard Logan sigh and stop. "How are ya doin' there, slim?" Logan asked him, turning towards him.

Scott heard Logan sigh and stop. "How are ya doin' there, slim?" Logan asked him, turning towards him.

Scott shrugged. His feet had begun to ache moments ago and he still felt a bit agitated from the fight earlier. "I'm fine, mostly," Scott replied.  
"Alright."

Scott stared at him. There were still blotches of blood splattered on the man's shirt, but the wound had completely healed minutes ago. "Are you doing okay?""Yeah," Logan responded. "I'm tryin' to track their scents, they're close."

"Yeah," Logan responded. "I'm tryin' to track their scents, they're close."

"How close?"

"Close."

Scott frowned at the answer. 'That wasn't helpful at all'.

"They might be here in a few minutes," added Logan.

Scott didn't say anything. He nodded and followed Logan as the older mutant continued to trek up the road. During the time, Scott also kept watch of any adversaries. Only four cars had past them and none of the drivers looked suspicious. He doubt an elderly couple could prove any harm to them. It was strange that no men had came after them yet and it gave Scott an unsettling feeling in his stomach. For men who were determined to kill Logan just to get to Scott, it's unlikely they wouldn't have more backup.

Scott nearly bumped into Logan when the man abruptly stopped. "Logan?" Scott questioned.

"They're here."

"The X-Men?" Scott asked and Logan nodded.

As if on cue, Scott heard a low buzzing sound rip through the air. His body to flinched at the sound then a look of confusion crossing his face as he tried to pinpoint where the buzzing was coming from. Suddenly a rush of air surrounded them, the dust from the road picked up and invaded his nose and coated his glasses. A black jet appeared in front of them, the sound now roaring in his ear and the dust swirled around as the jet slowly descended to the ground.

"Is that-"

"Yeah."

Once the jet landed, two women exited the jet, both Scott vaguely remembers from his dream. The older woman, with exotic white hair and dark skin, came out first. Scott recalled her being able to control the weather in his dream. The other woman, a lot younger than the other woman, with her brown hair tied into a ponytail and olive-tannish skin followed behind her. Scott barely remembered what power she have, all he knew she's part of the school. Scott took a step back and hid himself partially behind Logan, gazing at the two women with curiosity.  
Logan walked towards the two women, standing a foot away from the older woman. The younger one had a smile blazoned on her face as Logan made his way towards them.

There was no hostility in his voice when he greeted the women. "'Ro. Kitty."

The older woman, who Scott figures are called 'Ro, try to hold an austere composure, but the tiny smile on her face betrays her. "Logan," she replies back.

Seemingly they haven't noticed him and Scott was thankful that the attention hasn't focused on him instantly. The three engaged in a small talk. The two women asked Logan about his well-being and what he had been doing for the past years. For a moment, Logan glance over to Scott, which ends up catching the attention of the other two.

Scott saw the delight in Ro's eyes fade as her attention fell onto Scott. A look of confusion crosses her face.

"Who's..." her voice trailed off.

Scott grips his bag, a feeling of nervousness begins to boil in his stomach as the women stared at him. Logan looked over to him too.

"Him?" he questioned, almost sounding like he had forgotten had even existed. "That's-"

"Scott," Scott cut him off, swallowing down his fear. Scott walked to the trio and froze when he stood next to Logan. "S-Summers."

"Scott?" she questioned in disbelief.

"Hi."

"Scott?" Kitty questioned. "Like our Scott? Mr. Summers?"

"Yeah, that Scott," Logan said.

"How are you-" 'Ro started. She cut herself off and pulled Scott into a tight hug. Scott sniffed the sweet aroma that radiated off of the woman that reminded him of flowers and strangely rain. Awkwardly, Scott hugged her back, feeling a bit uneasy of the intimacy. 'Ro pulled away with an apologetic look on her face and a half smile, "I know you don't like hugs, but I missed you."

"I...I'm sorry, but I don't know you that well," Scott responded, feeling guilty for the matter.

"You don't remember me?" It sounded more like a statement rather than a question. Scott shook his head and whispered an apology to her for getting her hopes up that her friend was back.

"Did you lose your memories?" Kitty questioned.

Scott turned to Logan. "I'm not, I don't, really know how to explain this."

"I know," Logan said. "It's a long story, I can explain inside," he told them.

"Right," 'Ro said, glancing over to Logan as he walked past her and into the jet. She looked back to Scott and gave him a warm smile. "In case you didn't know, I'm Ororo and that's Kitty."

The younger woman beside her waved at him. "Hello!"

When they were inside, Logan gave them a short recapitulation of the past three days. He told them about Jean, about her resurrecting Scott and where to find him and that he needed to bring Scott to the mansion. He didn't go deep into detail of the men chasing after him or any of the other hardships the two encountered. Logan told them he would give them more information when they talk with the Professor.

The rest was a blur to Scott, but he couldn't keep his eyes off the complex design and the complex technology that made up the jet. A sense of deja vu hit Scott as he continued to eye the buttons and watch in amazement as Ororo flew the jet. He knew he had flown this many times before. He wondered if he retained the skills from his previous self.

Scott didn't sit with Logan. Instead, Logan sat with Ororo in the cockpit, carrying a conversation with each another, while Scott sat with Kitty in the back. Scott tried to overhear their conversation, but the voices were too low to catch. Logan's body language was more relaxed and welcoming towards Ororo. Jealousy swirled in his stomach, but he scolds himself for believing that they were more than just friends. 'It's been years since they last saw each other, don't get so worried' he reminded himself. Scott clung onto that belief. He pushed the unsettling thought away and focused on the many possibilities when he got to the mansion. Eager, yet nervous to see what will insure. Though underneath that, Scott knew that those men will surely come after them. Did he just put everyone at risk?

* * *

It took an hour to reach the X-Mansion and Logan was the first one off the jet, relived to finally be on land. Immediately, he was greeted by Xavier.

_/Welcome back, Logan/_

_/Nice to see you too, Chuck/_ He looked at Scott, who was walking next to him _. /I got a surprise for ya/_

_/Will I like it?/_

_/Definitely/_

They were underground, just existing the hangar, and the familiar scent of hundreds of teenagers reminded him he was home. A small smile cracks his face as they edged closer and closer to the mansion. Scott followed behind him, along with the scent of fear that stuck with him.

"How ya doing there?" He asked.

"I-I'm fine," Scott responded.

"Don't worry, everyone here gonna love ya."

Scott didn't respond, but the fear scent pegged down a level. It been years since either has returned and it just occurred to Logan of the reactions of the other students. He thinks the reactions would all be positive.

"Rogue misses you," Ororo commented.

"Who's Rogue?" Scott questioned.

"Where is she?"

"Tutoring other students," Kitty told him.

"Is she still datin' Bobby?"

"See for yourself," Ororo said, a little devious smile on her face, indicating that they are.

The outside campus was barely busy. It was nearing dusk and Logan believed it to be close to 7. A few kids lingered around outside, sitting and chatting on the stairs until they abruptly stopped and watched as they entered the mansion. Inside there was some activity. Students walked into and out of the hallway. Old smells entwined with new smells along with excitement and popcorn mixed in.

"It's movie night," Kitty whispered to Scott, who nodded understanding.

"Every other Thursday is movie night," Ororo added.

When they arrived at Xavier's office, Ororo knocked on the door. "Professor?"

"Storm, come in."

Ororo opened the door and walked in, the others following behind her.

The Professor was behind his desk, the back of his wheelchair towards them. He turned his wheel around, setting the book that was in his hand on the desk, and wheeled himself closer to the group. His eyes glint with delight when he saw them.

"Logan, nice to see you," Xavier greeted. He froze when he saw Scott. "Scott?"

Scott offered a weak smile. "Hi?"

Xavier stared at Scott for a good minute before saying, "Logan, I think you have a lot to explain."

"Why not read my mind?"

He averted his eyes to Logan. "I rather hear it from you," he said.

"It'll be easier to understand," Logan told him. He rather not explains the whole situation again.

"Do you want me to?" Xavier questioned, sounding hesitant on the issue.

"Do you need permission?" he retorted.

Xavier gave him a reluctant look before nodding then falling silent. He felt the man's psychic entrails enter his mind, sending shivers down his spine. Memories flashed in his mind, from the moment he met Scott at the bar to now. It took a second before the psychic hold mitigated.

Xavier pressed his lips to a thin line then looked at Scott. "Scott, what was the last thing you remember?" Xavier asked.

"I remember packing my bags and planning to leave at night," Scott answered.

"Did you leave at night?"

"I don't know."

"Did you see Winters before you ran away?"

"I-I don't know. I don't remember."

There was a minute of silence before Xavier asked another question. "Anything else you remember?"

"Everything before I ran away," Scott replied.

Xavier stared at Scott for awhile then gave him a solemn nod. "Kitty, can you take Scott to his room?"

"You mean his old room?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Kitty took Scott's wrist and guided him out of the room. Silence fell once again for a short time. Logan watched Xavier intently. The elderly man wore an expression mixed with confusion and slow comprehension of the situation.

"I can't read his mind, but it's him," Xavier said.

"You can't read his mind?" Logan questioned.

"No, I believe Jean must have prevented that," Xavier responded with distaste.

"I wonder why."

"I won't be able to find him on Cerebro if he gets kidnapped," Xavier pointed out.

Logan frowned. "He won't," he objected. He knew he wouldn't let that happen.

"Kidnapped?" Ororo questioned. "Why would Scott get kidnapped?"

"You didn't tell her?"

Ororo looked at both of them with a frown. "Tell me what?" she asked.

With a sigh, Logan explained, "Jeannie said a bunch of men is lookin' for Scott. So far the only lead she gave me is a man named Jack Winters."

"Why would he be looking for Scott, now? It's been years," Ororo said.

"Don't know, but he's serious. Sent a guy that nearly got Scott and sent a couple of men after us on the road," Logan added.

"I doubt Winters is capable of that," Xavier said.

"Ya sure about that?"

"Jack Winters is a petty criminal," he said, anger in his voice rising. "The only thing he is capable of is taking an abused boy into his home and abuse him carry out crimes for him."

"He would think Scott is all grown up now. He won't be able to control him," Ororo pointed out.

"Well someone out there is lookin' for him, and they know he exists."

"Tomorrow I will send both you and Ororo to investigate his home."

"Can't ya track him on Cerebro?"

"He's resistant to telepathy."

"Well, Scott ain't helping us with this."

"Scott never liked thinking about his past. I could tell he wanted me to erase certain parts, but he never confronted me about it."

"Did you?"

"I did what was necessary to lessen the pain behind them."

He scoffed at that. "Of course ya did."

"With Scott here now, what are we going to do?" Ororo questioned, changing the subject. "Are we going to make him team leader again?"

"He is going to have a hard time integrating into the school," Xavier replied. "Did Jean say what to do?"

"No, I figured y'all would handle it reasonably," Logan responded truthfully. Jean had only ordered him to bring Scott to the mansion and nothing further.

Xavier nodded his head slowly and drew in a sharp breath. "Scott still have issues with handling his power. I will help him with that," Xavier noted. He glanced over to Ororo. "Ororo, once Scott gets situated, I need you to take him to Hank for a checkup."

Ororo nodded, taking this as a signal to leave and that the conversation was over. She turned and left the room, leaving the two men alone. They said nothing to one another. The elder man had his chin propped on his hand and eyebrows furrowed. His eyes don't meet Logan's so Logan figured there was no need to talk about anything else. Logan turned around and decided to head out himself.

"Logan," Xavier injected.

Logan stopped, hand resting on the doorknob. He let a sound of annoyance and glanced over at the elder man. "What?"

"You don't trust me," Xavier stated.

"Where did ya get that idea?" Logan questioned. He thought of what he had done to Jean, what he possibly did to Scott.

"I never intended for either Jean or Scott to get hurt," Xavier confessed.

Logan's hand slipped from the doorknob and he turned to Xavier with narrowed eyes. "But they did. Jean's dead and Scott is a teenage with crippling anxiety."

"I must admit, I made mistakes and I apologize for it-"

"I don't want ya apology!" He exclaimed. "Just do better with Scott, the kid's gonna need it."

Logan turned around to leave when the Professor said,"I know." then continued. "You should stay. Scott would want someone he knows to be with him."

His grip on the doorknob tighten and he frowned at the door. "I'll think about it," he replied, offhandedly.

_/I think you already made your choice/_

Logan let out a deep breath and left the office, annoyance swelling up inside him.

* * *

Scott despised the stares and whispers he received as he walked down the hallway. He followed Kitty behind and did his best to ignore the attention that was growing around his arrival.

"Who's that?"

"He looks familiar."

"Is he new?"

"He's kind of cute."

Scott blushed at the last comment. Scott knew that was only the tip of the iceberg of what's going to happen next once the whole student body found out his true identity. Thinking of the amount of attention he was going to receive left his stomach in knots.

The stares and whispers disappeared when the two reached the bedroom door. Kitty opened the door and Scott followed her in.

"Here's your room, Mr. Summers," Kitty introduced.

"You can just call me Scott," Scott told her, placing his duffle bag on the floor.

Kitty's face flushed. "Oh, sorry, I'm used to-"

"I know," Scott cut her off.

The first thing Scott saw was bouquets of flowers in the room along with unlighted candles and a photo of the older version of him. Another photo with a familiar redhead was set next to his. Scott stared at the photos, a mixed feeling growing in his stomach. Scott took another look at the room. There was barely any dust that coated the room. The bed was nicely done, pillows setting nicely and the comforter folded neatly. Cards and even more flowers rested on the bed. Everything else in the room was organized, which was much different than his old slovenly room. The room even had a nice fragrance to it.

"It's clean," Scott mentioned.

Kitty nodded in agreement. "We keep it clean as a memorial for you and Mrs. Grey."

Scott observed the smaller memorial that was on the bed. Most of the cards were homemade, 'We Miss You' was written in markers and crayons. The corner of his mouth quirked up for a second. His older self had left a significant impact on the students. He wonders how they'll react when they find out that their mentor is alive and younger.

"It's weird being in a dead man's room," inputted Scott.

"But you're not dead," Kitty reminded him. "Well you were, but not anymore."

"Doesn't mean I'm the same man."

"Does it matter if you are? You don't have to be like him, you can be, like, a whole new different person."

' _A whole new person?'_ Scott wondered. Was that even possible? "I'm not sure about that," he said lamely and plump down on the bed.

Kitty sat down next to him. "Do you want to be your other self?" Kitty questioned.

"I-I don't know," Scott answered.

Truthfully Scott didn't know what he wanted. He didn't think ahead about how the contrasting personalities of his older self and him. They were both the same person, but everything he knew so far about his older self was foreign. Scott wasn't sure if he's even capable of being a leader, nevertheless a leader of a mutant super team. For the past days, he's been too occupied with his crush for Logan and his thoughts of Winters coming back to have even think about the mansion.

The sound of rustling flowers brought him back from his thoughts. Kitty picked up one of the bouquets, examining it with curiosity. "There's a lot of flowers here, do you like flowers?" She asked him. "I can get rid of them for you."

Scott shook his head. "I can do it myself. Also, it would look bad if people saw you getting rid of these flowers."

"I think they would understand once they see you," Kitty assured him. She put the bouquet back with the other bouquets of flowers.

"I've been gone for all these years and you guys still put up flowers?" Scott questioned, the idea sounding a bit silly to him.

Kitty nodded with a smile. "Yes! It was the Professor's idea. We went through so many flowers," she told him, put emphasis on 'so'.

"He must've missed me."

"Of course he does!" Kitty exclaimed like it was a known fact. "He sees you as his son."

 _'At least someone sees me as their son'_ Scott thought bitterly as an image of Winters popped into his head. Scott gazed back at the photo of Jean which replaced the image of Winters. "So did, uh, Jean also slept in this room?" Scott questioned.

"Married couples do share a room," Kitty replied. Well, that answered his question.

"Scott?" Ororo's voice murmured from behind the door.

"Yes?"

Ororo peeked from the door. "Do you mind coming with me? The Professor wants you to get a check up."

"Oh." Scott glanced over to Kitty then to Ororo. A part of him wanted to stay in the bed and the other part of him wanted to get this over with.

"Okay."

Getting off the bed, Scott followed Ororo out of the room and into the main hallway. Kitty also left the room but went her own separate way. Unlike earlier, there was a significant drop off kids in the main hallways. The few students that lingered that paid him no attention to him. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Logan left Xavier's office.

"Do you mind if I speak to Logan for a minute?" Scott asked, eyes still on Logan.

She shook her head. "No problem."

Scott stepped off to the side and felt his stomach churn as he went to approach the older man. "Logan?" Scott called.

Logan stopped and looked over at Scott. "Yeah, kid?"

Scott swallowed down the nervous feeling he had, "A-Are you leaving soon?" He knew Logan had desires of leaving the mansion, but the man didn't look like he was heading out the door anytime soon.

"No, not yet for a while," Logan answered, not meeting his eyes.

"So you're staying?"

"For now."

Scott smiled, relief and giddiness washing over him. "That's great!"

"Just until we get rid of Winters," Logan added. "After that, I'm leavin'."

"Oh." Scott wasn't too sure about that. "Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here." 'Enjoy your stay? Seriously, Summers?' He cursed himself for saying such a stupid thing.

Logan nodded, gave a small nod to Ororo and left. Scott watched as the man disappeared into the hallway then turned his attention to Ororo. She was smiling at him.

"You seem to like talking to him," Ororo said.

Scott nodded, he couldn't lie about that. She giggled a little and continued to guide Scott to wherever she was taking him. The nervousness he had in his stomach turned into a warm feeling and his face grew hot. He couldn't believe he's actually in love with Logan.

* * *

Night came and Logan rested in bed, struggling to fall asleep. He was agitated. It's been years since he last slept in this same room, years since he last stepped foot on the mansion. It was an inevitable that Logan was going to return to the mansion. He had a propensity towards the mansion. The familiar environment that the place provided was comforting to him. Even though the staff and students loved him, he still felt egregious. Unlike the staff here, he's a killer; slaughtered God knows how many people, but still they considered him their own.

Logan doubted leaving. Marie have surely missed him and with Scott staying, he knew the kid would need someone to look to.

Scott.

Scott fucking Summers.

The kid's different than he imagined him to be. He imagined a more privileged boy, one that came from a middle-class family that got picked up by a more wealthier man once his parents died. He was partly right. Previously, Logan was only aware of Scott being an orphan when he was 8 than getting adopted by a man who had money. What he didn't know was that man was an abusive asshole to Scott who's hellbent on finding him for some reason. He didn't expect Scott to be so...pitiful.

Pitiful wouldn't be a correct word to describe Scott. Finding out that Scott was abused made him regret the insults he flung to the older Scott for not knowing how hard life is actually is. This Scott is too damn nervous and too damn vulnerable compared to the snobbish Scott he originally imagined. This Scott is a wheel of emotions while the other just bottled his emotions up. Logan blamed that part on Xavier. As much as he admired the man's dream, his ways of "protecting" his students were questionable, given his recent actions towards Jean's alter personality. Logan sure as hell didn't want Scott to be like the old Scott. He didn't want to see the kid become self-destructive and develop unhealthy habits.

'Why the hell do I care so much?' That questions burned in his mind. He wasn't going to lie to himself, he did care about Scott before, but he had cared this much, not until it was too late. Maybe it was losing Scott the first time made him realize that, yeah, he do like Scott; not as a friend, but something more.

Logan heard a knock on the door and his immediate thought went to Scott. He easily picked up his scent through the door.  
Turning the lamp on, Logan called "It's open." Scott opened the door and walked in, closing the door silently as possible. Logan raised an eyebrow. "What do you want, kid?"

"What do you want, kid?"

"I can't sleep. It feels weird sleeping in there," Scott replied.

"What makes ya think I can help?" he questioned.

Scott tensed up. "I don't know anyone here and I know you so..."

"Just get over here."

Scott stared at him flabbergasted and Logan grinned at how adorable it looked. Quickly recovering, Scott crawled onto the bed. Logan scooted over to give Scott some space.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Scott asked as he pulled the cover over his legs.

"Can't sleep either," Logan responded.

"It been a long time since you've been here," Scott said. "Why did you leave?"

"Couldn't handle losin' anyone else," Logan answered truthfully.

"You mean Jean?"

"And you."

"Do you miss him? Or did you?"

"Unfortunately yes."

"'Unfortunately'?" Scott repeated.

Logan nodded. "I gotta admit, the two of us didn't have a great relationship. There's a lot of things I wish I could've fixed."

"I guess you can start over, huh?" Scott suggested, coming off more of a tease.

Logan shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." He decided to change the subject. "Did ya meet everyone?"

"I think so. They seem to miss me, they, uh, can't believe it's me."

"Mm."

"Can you?"

"Partly, yes. When ya died, Jean practically atomized ya," Logan told him. Seeing the kid's eyebrows rose, he added, "But she made it up and brought ya back."

"Yeah…"

He stared at Scott, attempting to read the distant expression that defined the kid's face.

"Are you and the X-Men going to go after Winters?" Scott asked. For some reason, Scott smelt worried.

Slowly nodding, "Yeah, tomorrow," Logan confirmed.

Scott jerked his head to his direction. "T-Tomorrow?"

"The sooner we get this over with-"

"The earlier you leave?" Scott chimed in, anger laced in his voice causing Logan to frown.

"The safer ya be."

Scott shook his head. "It can't be Winters, I've been gone for years!"

"Well do ya have anyone in mind?" Logan questioned.

Scott went quiet and he turned away, staring down at his lap now. It was a moment of silence before Scott whispered out a name. "William Stryker."

"Stryker?"

"You know him?"

"Yeah, we fought him before," Logan told him. He remembered the attack on the mansion, Scott, the Professor and other students were kidnapped, and the eventual lead to Jean's death.

"He's probably looking for revenge," Scott said.

"He's dead."

"Oh."

"Is there anyone else?"

"Yes, it's a stretch, but when I was 9, I was put into an orphanage and the man in the orphanage, Mr. Milbury, he would-" Scott paused, looking unsure. "I-I don't really know what he does, but I think he was doing the same thing Stryker was doing."

"Experiments on you?"

"Yes..."

"What was the name or the orphanage?"

"Nebraska's Home for Foundling."

"And ya think he's behind this?"

"Maybe. He found me important enough to experiment on me."

"It's been years," Logan concluded.

"Same with Winters," Scott reminded him.

"I'll tell Ororo about it."

"Please be careful."

"Don't worry, I dealt with plenty of men like them before."

"I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me."

"You underestimate what we can do." Logan rests his hand on Scott's which gripped the bed sheet. "Ya gotta trust us, alright? We can protect ya, we will never let anythin' happen to ya."

Scott nodded, releasing his grip on the bed sheet. "I trust you." And that was all he needed. He needed the kid to clung to hope that his already fucked up life would become better.

"You should try to sleep, don't know what tomorrow have planned for ya," he told him.

"Okay."

He turned the light off. He heard the sheets rustle as Scott better positioned himself, his back facing Logan. He didn't sleep for awhile. Scott had finally provided him some information, information he didn't know how to swallow. Experiments were something he never wanted to be added into Scott's shitty past. Not just once, but possibly multiple times. It angered him knowing that some sicko experimented on a teenage boy. He thought of the conversation he had earlier with Xavier. As much as he loathed the idea of Xavier meddling inside others' head, Scott didn't need to reflect on all of his traumas.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Logan grew jaded. He turned his body to see a sleeping Scott, who lightly snored. A smile tugged at his lips and he decided to drape his arm around Scott's waist. He pressed his lips against Scott's temple and slowly descend into slumber.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has mentions of child abuse and non-con. It is very short, but if you wish, skip Scott's dream sequence. (It's in italics)

When Damien send in men to retrieve Scott Summers, he was too cocky in his pursuit. He expected it to be an easy retrieve. The man who employed his father on this mission told them about the kid's incapability to be aggressive. The first thing Damien did was track Scott through cameras. Whenever someone needed to be found, Damien always relied on the stealthiness of cameras. Cameras were easier to hack into and multiple cameras provided a better accessibility to the area to Damien. That's how he managed to track them earlier at the bar.

Damien then planted the tracker. The tracker is the best idea that Damien came up after that minor setback at the bar. Planting the tracker in the car worked. He definitely got a lot further in finding the kid than he expected.  With the tracking device, it made it 10 times easier to follow them. So he sent his men to follow them and waited for a callback. He didn't receive any. He sent another batch of men to follow and all they managed to find was the mangled bodies of the first group.

The moment he received the news, Damien dreaded the second he stepped inside the building. Already, he can imagine the look of anger and disappointment that will screw his father's face and the dreadful lecturing he will receive. Damien's heart beat faster with each step, fear slowly creeping up his neck.

Damien went to his father's office where the man had his back turned to him. The man was staring out the window, looking at the lights that decorated the night sky. Damien could see his own reflection from the window. The man was dressed in a gray slim suit, his silver-grey hair was slicked back and he's only an inch taller than Damien.

His father glanced over at him, blue eyes meeting his brown ones. "Where is he?" The question carried a thick Russian accent.

Damien swallowed nervously. He told him what happened, about the Wolverine, the club, the tracker and the men who were killed by the Wolverine's bloody wrath.

There was a moment of silence between the two before Braginsky slammed his fist on the desk, causing Damien to flinch. "How did you lose him?" He yelled.

"I didn't! We all know they're going to New York!" his son defended.

Braginsky narrowed his eyes, creating more wrinkles on his face and did his best to retain his composure. "That doesn't help. We need him to be here."

"I'll send more men," Damien said.

"No!" Braginsky snapped. "After this debacle, I don't think you can put in charge of retrieving him anymore."

"If he wasn't with that damn Wolverine, I would've had him by now," Damien declared.

Braginsky pressed his lips to a thin line. He considered his son's statement then sighed. "I can excuse you for that."

"Why can't we sent one of those mutants we traffic?" Damien questioned. "They can surely stop him."

"They're all children and the Wolverine is invincible. He would slaughter them all."

"Worth a shot."

"I'm not risking it," his father said.

Damien frowned, parting his lips to say something, but stopped himself. He looked down to his feet and sighed, his father's gaze burning into. "I can do better."

"Can you? Because this is the second time you have fucked up," Braginsky sneered. Damien didn't say anything instead swallowing down his anger. His jaw tensed and he glared up at his father. Braginsky sucked his teeth, shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Get out! I can't deal with you anymore."

"Do you want me to try again-"

"Leave!"

Braginsky heard the door shut momentarily after. He shook his head once more and muttered under his breath, "failure." He opened his eyes to see the button on the intercom light up green. He exhaled loudly through his nose and pressed the speaker button.

"What do you want?"

"He's here."

"Of course he is," he grumbled. "Let him in."

A beep emitted from the intercom and Braginsky pulled his finger away. He turned around and stared at the photo hanging from the wall. Brown striking eyes glared down at him. He wondered what the woman from the photo would think of all this mess.

The door opened. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the corpulent man enter the room. He turned around to face the man, a forced smile plastered on his face.

"Jack," he acknowledged.

"Carter," Winters responded with a sneer on his face. "I saw your boy storm off and it got me wondering, where's mine?"

"Yours?" Braginsky questioned. "I never thought you considered him yours after all that abuse you inflicted on him."

Winters scoffed. "It's not abuse, just encouragement," he said, clenching his diamond hand. "I still want to know where he is."

"Not here."

Winters frowned. "Why not?"

"My son sent a group of our men to retrieve him. They turned up dead."

"Impossible! That boy can't kill anyone to save his life."

"It wasn't him. My son said the Wolverine is responsible."

"Never heard of him. That doesn't help that my boy ain't here."

"The Wolverine seem to be...defending him."

"Then stop him from doin' that."

Braginsky frowned. "The Wolverine is indestructible. No matter how many men we send, he'll eliminate them all."

"You think I give a damn about your men!? I gave ya a week to find him!" Winters shouted.

"And I still have three days left. Last time I recall, I have more men than you," Braginsky snapped. Winters stood closer to Braginsky, the latter's desk distancing the two.

Winters pointed his diamond finger at the Russian man. "Last time I recall, I'm the one that hired ya. If I wanted to, I would give the cops a little tip to where ya at."

Braginsky scoffed at the threat, knowing well of the other man's involvement with him. "And risk putting yourself in prison?"

Winters stuck his hands in his pocket and grinned. "I got protection."

"Protection? Who is your protection?"

"The one that told me to hire you."

Braginsky's eyes slightly widen and his face paled. He cursed mentally and cursed again seeing the gleeful look on Winters. "Him?" Braginsky said in a small tone, straightening his back. Winters simply nodded, oddly not flinging a comeback at him. The bulky man began to walk away, pulling a cigar from his pocket. "Where are you going?"

Winters turned around, planting the cigar between his lips and pulling out a lighter. He said through gritted teeth, "He'll be coming later, hopefully, he don't kill ya for what ya did."

Winters left the room, leaving Braginsky dreading the future meeting that's soon to come.

 

* * *

If Scott could, he would never dream. All his dreams are nightmares and when there aren't nightmares, they're dark nothingness. Scott dreaded them every time he went to sleep. There were always something ominous with his traumatic experiences mixed into it. Last night wasn't any different.

_Scott laid in dark and disturbing silence. The scene changed. From the darkness came light and from the light morphed into a room. It was a gray room. Scott couldn't tell if he was standing or laying down, but all he knew he couldn't move. He opened his mouth to hear no words. Panic rushed through him. He felt hopeless. Scott heard words, his name, so many insults flung at him each felt like they were cutting into him like glass shards._

_Scott._

_Useless._

Piece _of shit._

_Waste of space._

_Disgrace._

_Scott wanted to shut his eyes. He wanted it to go away. He wanted to wake up. He forced himself to wake up, but the dream kept him in its dark clutches._

_The insults stops and everything_ is _back to dark then bits of pieces of his memories appears. He sees himself escaping the orphanage at night. An orphan boy stopped him before he exits the door. Where are_ you _going, Scott?_

_It changes to a familiar room. Scott's body walked on its own as he entered the room, a backpack slung over his shoulder. When the door is shut behind him a man enters the scene. Jack Winters flung hundreds of questions at Scott. Where were you? Why were you so late? What the hell is wrong with you?_

_Scott spoke softly, his head lowered and told Winters the truth. The word liar is flung at him. Scott did fight back, he never did when Winters is angry. He knew fighting back was useless. Winters always hit him if he did. And that's what he did. He slapped him and yelled. Told him not to do it again. Asked him the same thing and punched him in the stomach for giving the same reply._

_Another scene change with the world being dark, but he hears voices. He hears Victor taunting him and he feels him towering over him. He calls him_ pretty _boy. He feels Victor's hand on him. It's too much. He's overwhelmed. He wants out of this nightmare now._

_Scott hears a voice that isn't Victor, a more feminine voice._

_"Scott." It's a call for him and the darkness goes away. A white room and Jean appears. Worry contorts her face. He doesn't know why. Seeing her takes him by surprise. This image conflicts with all the other images of her in his head. She wasn't deranged or threatening. Her eyes aren't black, they're green. Staring into them was memorizing and for a second he forgot all the horrors in his dream. He could see why Logan's into her._

_Jean speaks to him, but he doesn't comprehend any of the words being said. It sounds like nonsense and as she talked, Scott became to feel uneasy._

_She reached out for him, the look of worry turned into something more melancholic. "Scott..."_

_It's too much._

_"Scott, don't-"_

Scott woke up with a gasp and fell into fits of coughs. The back of his shirt is wet and his chest felt warm. Quickly, he reached out for Logan only to find the other side empty. He frowned and rolled onto his back, remembering the conversation they had last night. Scott laid there, debating whether or not to leave the bed and face the other mutant students out there. After minutes went by, Scott finally got off the bed. The time was nearing 10 and when he left the room, there was no one in the hallways. Scott whisked himself to the kitchen, hoping no students spot him.

In the kitchen, he smelled the faint scent of eggs and pancakes. The scent reminded Scott the first time he arrived at the mansion. Xavier provided him breakfast after rescuing him from Stryker. Scott opened one of the cabinets, grabbed a glass and filled it with water. When he turned around he saw Logan, leaning against the granite counter with a bottle in his hand and back turned to him. Scott felt both relieved and happy seeing him. He smiled.

"You're still here," Scott said. He sat on one of the high-chairs across from Logan.

Logan turned around and faced Scott. "'Ro have a class to teach, once she's done we're leavin'," Logan told him, taking a swig from his bottle.

"How much time do you have then?"

"15 minutes."

"Oh." He stared at his glass then looked up at Logan, tilting his head. "Are you drinking beer?"

"No, but I wish it was," Logan grumbled as he set the bottle on the table. It smelled like soda and Scott heard faint bubbling. "Somethin' wrong, kid? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Scott did felt a bit shaken by the nightmare. "No, I'm fine," Scott lied. He couldn't help but fiddle with the brim of the glass.

"Nightmare?"

"Somewhat."

"Gonna tell me?"

"Just the usual."

"And what's the usual?"

"Bad memories. Also Jean."

Logan raised an eyebrow and leaned in forward. "Jean?"

"Yeah."

"What she say?"

Scott brought the glass to his lips and said, "Just my name, that's it." He gulped down the water setting the now-empty glass on the counter. His eyes shot up to Logan. "Did you have any nightmares? Or any dreams of...Jean?"

Logan shook his head. "No, I wished she communicated with me. She used a lot of energy when she met me at the bar."

"She appeared in mine," Scott pointed out. "What does that mean?"

"Don't know." Logan shrugged. "Guess she wanted to see how ya doin'?"

Scott didn't know what to say. It was hard to believe that Jean wanted to contact him. She hasn't the other past nights and he was skeptical why she tried last night.

"Ya know, kid, it ain't good to be secretive all the time. Sometimes ya gotta tell people how ya feelin'."

"That's hypocritical coming from you," Scott retorted, the words came out harsher than he expected. He immediately regretted it once he slipped through his lips.

Scott flinched when Logan straightened himself. Scott noticed that Logan froze abruptly and looked taken aback.

"Scott-" he stopped himself and looked deep in thought. He set the bottle down on the table then looked at Scott. "Did ya think I was gonna to hurt ya?"

"No...." He bit his lips and eyes glancing off to the side. "Maybe."

"I wouldn't hit ya. I ain't like yer father."

"Foster father," Scott quickly corrected him. "And I know. Force of habit." He's used to playing it off as it was nothing.

"Look, Scott, yer older self, he never liked to talk about his feelings. Only with Jean and when she died, it messed him up. I don't want the same thing happenin' to you."

"It won't. I promise."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Logan muttered, taking the bottle and putting it to his lips.

Scott blinked. What does that mean? Scott was taken aback at the random moment of concern and it warmed his heart a little. Though the conversation left him with even more questions about their previous relationship and with his relationship with Jean. Scott wanted to ask a question. It was a risky question and it was begging to come out.

"Logan," Scott started.

"Yeah?"

"Nothing."

"Alright."

"Logan," Ororo called, entering the kitchen. She smiled when she saw Scott. "Hi, Scott." Scott whispered a 'hi' back. Ororo looked to Logan and motioned her head to the door. "You ready?"

Logan nodded. "Yeah." He threw the bottle in the garbage and went to Ororo. Before he left he told Scott, "Hopefully this will all be over when we come back."

Scott took that as a goodbye then cursed himself for not asking. Sighing, Scott slipped out of the high chair and placed the glass in the sink.

* * *

"Ready to go?" Ororo asked when they were outside the kitchen.

"The sooner we get this over with, the better," Logan replied, following the woman to the underground facility.

There Logan went to one of the lockers and put on the black leather superhero outfit that all X-Men members were required to wear. The one-piece was snug around his legs and upper body, but a bit tight around his arms. Logan left the locker room. He approached Ororo, whose also in uniform.

They both went to the X-Jet. Ororo sat in the pilot seat while Logan sat next to her. Ororo punched in the coordinates and in a minute they were already in the air. Logan laid back against his seat, watching Ororo steady the jet.

"We'll be there in an hour," Ororo told him.

"Thank god," Logan whispered under his breath. Flying was never his thing and he was already anxious to get out.

"Did something happen between you and the Professor before you left?" Ororo asked.

"What makes ya think anythin' happen?"

"Yesterday."

"Where we left off wasn't entirely great," Logan said.

"Is it about Jean?"

"And Scott," Logan added. "He shouldn't be foolin' around in others head. It ain't helpin'."

"You are right. What he did wasn't…right, but he believed he was helping," she said. "You weren't there in the beginning, you didn't know what Scott went through."

"How much did he go through?"

"A lot. More than a child should go through."

"He's different than our Scott."

"He is our Scott," Ororo reminded him. "It's just that he haven't trained with the Professor yet."

"And what does that training consist of? Being an asshole."

"Scott was- isn't an asshole. He had to suppress his emotions in order to be an effective leader."

"Did you have to suppress yer emotions?"

Ororo shook her head. "No, but I did need to make risky decisions on the field, even if I didn't want to."

"So what is the Professor preachin' to Scott then? Don't show any emotions or ya kill everyone?"

"I can't speak for the Professor, but we all need to control our emotions so we won't hurt ourselves or everyone around us. Scott's...is an unhealthy extent."

Logan nodded. "Yeah. 'Specially after Jean died. The kid was a mess." That was something Logan feared will happen again. Seeing Scott broken with grief the first time wasn't a sight he wanted to see again. "Do ya think that will change? Think he'll be less...aloof?"

"I don't know what's going to happen," Ororo told him. "Things are a lot different. Jean isn't here and Scott is not the only student anymore. A lot of things have changed and I don't know how Scott will deal with this."

"He seems to be doin' fine," Logan said. "He did freak out when he found out Jeannie killed him, but he seems fine with being in a different decade."

"Who knows, Scott might change himself."

'Yeah, but how?' Logan wanted to ask. It was clear that there were multiple factors that molded Scott into the character he becomes when he gets older. Winters, Xavier, Jeannie, they all had a hand in creating the Scott everyone knows. Winters is responsible for leading Scott into Xavier. Xavier is responsible for making Scott the leader, having him suppress practically all his feelings in order to be effective. His mental relationship with Jean caused him to be further introverted and prevented him from talking about his feelings. With Jean gone and possibly Xavier plans to turn Scott into a leader, Logan didn't know what that'll mean for Scott. Maybe the kid will be a lot less aloof than before.

"So what do you think about Scott? He's not bad to you like before."

Logan scoffed. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation. "I..." he began. "Tolerate him."

"I think Scott would say otherwise," Ororo said with a grin.

He raised an eyebrow and couldn't help, but grin himself. "What do ya mean?"

"Come on Logan, I know you see it. Scott likes you."

"That's because I'm probably the only man that haven't hit him so far. Plus we barely know each other."

Logan is aware of Scott's attraction to him is noticeable. Scott had confessed his love to him before, but he brushed off that confession because he was drunk.

"You should get to know each other better," Ororo suggested.

"He doesn't talk." That was a lie because Scott can talk about anything except his past. Neither of them would be able to cross that line and talk about each other's feelings.

Ororo released her hands away from the jet handle. The jet falters for a second before she turned autopilot on. She turned to Logan. "Maybe you can break him out of his shell. You're the second person he's familiar with so he'll probably talk to you more."

"Are ya implyin' somethin' between us?"

"I'm just pointing out the obvious."

"It wouldn't work out."

"It wouldn't hurt to try."

"Chuck won't approve it."

"I don't think you're worried about that."

"Yer right, I'm not," he replied truthfully. "I don't trust myself."

Ororo frowned. "You're not going to hurt him."

"And if I do? It's gonna end all messy. I don't think the kid will be able to handle it."

"Scott is a lot stronger than you think he is."

"Would you be alright with it?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. All it matters is that both of you are happy."

"Ya seem to be advocatin' a lot for my happiness."

She smiled. "You _are_ my friend."

He leaned back against his seat, setting his feet on the dashboard. "If it makes ya happy, I do know some things about Scott."

"Really?" She chuckled lightly. "Like what?"

Logan list all the things he noticed from Scott. He knows of the nightmares Scott have, he flinches at sudden movements and loud voices. He noticed Scott becomes anxious around a group of people or whenever the attention is focused on him. He noticed be smiled more than his older self. His smiles were small and weak yet genuine. He noticed Scott lies whenever being asked if he's fine. He also noticed Scott is a heavy sleeper and is a person that can't hold his liquor.

Logan stops himself from listing more. He gazes at the woman next to him, who stared at him with amusement. "That's all I got."

"It seems like you know a lot."

He shrugged. "Probably." He glanced out the window to see them still surrounded by thick clouds. "Are we close yet?"

Ororo turned back to the controls. "10 minutes." She turned back to Logan and crossed her legs, placing her chin on her palm and leaned slightly to him. "I think it gives us enough time to catch up."

He smirked. "Alright then."

* * *

 

Ten minutes wasn't enough to catch up but did give each other insight of the other's life. As they closed in on the coordinates, Ororo retook control of the jet and landed it in a wooded area. It took another minute for her to turn the jet off.

"We're here," she told him.

Logan looked out the window, only seeing trees. He scrunched his nose up. "This is where he lived?"

"We have to walk to get there."

Promptly afterward, they exited the jet. Logan analyzed his surroundings. The smell of humans lingered over, but he couldn't sense anyone in the woods except for the hidden animals. Ororo lead the way while he stayed behind and listened for any intruders.

It wasn't long that they came across the house. The house was small, no second floor and didn't look like it could house more than 10 people. The roof was gray and the bottom of the house was built with bricks while the rest was built with white wood. The white wood had tints of yellow in it and grime stuck on the door. The house was also separated from the other houses in the area; though it was the closest to the woods.

"Do you think it's been abandoned?" Logan asked, glancing at his friend.

She shrugged. "No one's home," she pointed out. There wasn't a car parked in the driveway. "It could be a diversion. Proceed with caution."

"I hope we find somethin'," he muttered.

The door squeaked as they opened it. The interior of the house didn't match the outside of the house. The wooden floors were polished to the point that you can see your own reflection from it. The white walls carried no dust. Velvet carpets lead them to the living room and all the furniture looked new and expensive.

"He's been here recently," Logan said, taking a sniff of Winter's scent.

"He might have security."

He nodded and they both went their separate ways. Logan headed to one of the rooms which happened to be a bedroom. The bedroom smelled of cigar smoke and a bizarre cologne that has a mix of cedar wood and vanilla. Winters scent engulfed the room. Logan searched through dressers and cabinets. He found golden chains and shiny jewelry tucked underneath the clothes. Logan guessed that they were stolen. The room was a dead end, not even anything in the closet.

He went to a different room and it was even more of a dead end than before. He searched for cracks, anything that looked out of place and hopefully leads him to a secret room. In frustration, he punched the wall, put in dents and white dust trickled down to the floor. Logan took a deep breath and forced himself to focus. _'Not the time to lose yer temper.'_

He flung the dust that lightly coated his knuckles. The bruise healed rather quickly. He exited the room and looked in the hallway closet. Nothing.

"Dead end!" He shouted to Ororo.

"I think I found something!" Ororo called back.

He arrived to see Ororo trying to open the metal door. "It's lock."

"Lemme try." He popped out his claws and sliced the door knob. The door knob fell down with a thud.

"Logan! Don't break anything! We can't let him know that we're here," scolded Ororo.

"He should," he shot back as he pushed the door open. "He should know that someone is coming after him if he thinks he's gonna hurt Scott."

Winters finding out that they were here was the least of Logan's worry. He wanted the man to fear him. He wanted the man to regret ever laying a hand on Scott and abusing him. He wanted the man to know that they were coming after him if Winters believe he has a chance of getting Scott. 

Ororo closed the door behind them, the stairs creaking with each step and the air was heavy with dust. Logan flipped the light switch and a small bulb that hang from a flimsy string turned on. There were multiple crates on the floor, some were open with the tops rested against the crate. Inside was contraband items. Golden jewelry, gems, packs of tobacco and other illegal drugs were packed in the crates. They searched through the crates, only finding more contrabands at the bottom of the crate. Logan was beginning to think coming to the house was a dead end. In one crate, it was filled with clothes which strangely carried Scott's scent. He searched through the crate longer, digging his hand deeper into the crate until his hand brushed against a folder. He pulled the folder out and opened it. 

"A folder?" questioned Ororo. 

Logan nodded. "Yeah, a bunch of files and letters."

He pulled the stack of paper from the folder and set the folder on the floor. He stared at the first paper; it was a file on Scott's adoption with most of the words blacked out except for the kid's name, age, and date of birth. 

Ororo picked up one of the paper that slipped from the stack.  "A paycheck. Signed by...Nathaniel Essex."

 

He raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell is that?"

"A scientist. I saw his name in one of Hank's books, but it was made in the 1800s."

"And this is recent," Logan pointed out. "Maybe his kid?"

"Possibly…" Her voice trailed off. "Can you give me those letters?"

"Sure."

He handed her the letters. Ororo observed them, skimming through the papers until her mouth gaped.

"'Ro?"

"Look at it."

Logan squinted his eyes and read the cursive writing. Each letter was made up of short paragraphs in brief sentences.

 

Winters, 1993

It seems Scott have gone missing. I thought we agreed that you would keep him secure until he turned 18. Scott cannot be let out of your sight, we do not know where he will end up in. Find him as soon as possible or else.

\- Essex

 

"1993..." Ororo's voice trailed. "This is when Stryker took Scott."

 

Winters, 1993

Scott came back. Perfect. I need you to be more careful in the future. We cannot have the same problem happen again. If it does, it would not end precisely well for you. I will arrive on Wednesday, 7 pm and deal with this accordingly. Make sure he doesn't run away again. If you could make him forget.

\- Essex

_'Forget? The hell he means forget?'_

 

Winters, 1995

I am very disappointed with you. I thought we agreed this would never happen again. I thought you instilled in him what would happen if he disappeared again. I thought I instilled in you the consequences you will face if this occurred again. Tomorrow, I will come and we can discuss your mishap.

\- Essex

 

Winters, 1995

I will arrive in two days. Prepare what I need and I will take them with me. I'm glad that we have worked out a better arrangement for us. Do not worry, I will send a check to you for your cooperation.

\- Essex

 

"I wonder what that 'arrangement' is," Logan wondered.

"Another mutant child?" Ororo questioned.

"Ya think he found another mutant child to give to him? He seems pretty fixated on Scott."

Ororo shrugged. She looked through the letters once more. "There's a few more recent ones."

 

Winters, 2006

I will not send you another check, instead, I will give you something more desirable. I heard you used to work with Carter Braginsky and Jiaying Ma in your past. Currently, they're in charge of the Golden Serpents. I will seek out an arrangement with them to give you power.

\- Essex

 

Logan's eyes widen. "Winters worked with the Golden Serpents?"

"I guess so. Do they sound familiar?"

"Jean warned me about them. The men that came after us were from this gang."

"Do you know anything about them?"

"A little. They deal with mutant trafficking."

 

Winters, 2008

I don't understand why you are suddenly interested in my experiments. Though, I will give you a bit of information on it. The first two trials have failed. I still have enough DNA to use, but I will require more near the end of the year. I believe you have more.

\- Essex

 

Experiments? Trials? DNA?

"What kind of fucked up thing is he in?" He sneered. There were multiple theories running through his head. Was Essex trying to use Scott for an experiment? Was Winters taking in abused vulnerable children just to send them to Essex? The letters left them with more questions than answers and no reasons to why they're interested in Scott now.

Ororo read the letters and files over and over again, attempting to search for something, but she didn't know precisely what. "What does this have to do with-" Her eyes widen. She began to grab the other files. "Logan, we need to go."

He looked around, claws ready to spring out. "What? He's here?" He couldn't trace a new another scent except for them.

"No, I....I found something," Ororo said. She pulled out of the papers and showed Logan, pointing to the address written on there. "Nebraska State Home for Foundlings. That's the orphanage Scott was in. We could find more answers there."

Logan took the files with them. They placed everything back and left the house without any of the resident noticing them. When they reached the plane, Ororo put in a new set of coordinates and in a moment they were off, heading to Scott's other childhood horror. 

* * *

Scott finished the cereal he fixed himself and decided to wander around the mansion. A class period has passed since Logan left and it was nearing close to noon. The majority of the layout haven't changed. There were extra sets of bedrooms and one hallway devoted to boys and one to girls. He walked past classrooms, peaking through the door to see both bored and intrigued students being lectured by teachers.

Scott was amazed by the amount of students and teachers that resided in the mansion. The first time he arrived, Scott was the only person there besides the Professor. He wondered if that still applied for his older self when he returned the second time. When Scott figured he had explored enough, he settled to the library. Scott always liked the library. It was quiet and never too crowded.There were only three other students in the library, all separated from one another and preoccupied with their own books. Scott whisked himself further into the depths of the library. He distanced himself away from the students and found a small secluded area to stay in. He searched through the stacks of books. Fiction. Fantasy. Action.

Scott took out a book that caught his interest and sat on the floor and allowed himself to become engrossed in the book. Two chapters in and Scott felt a figure loom over him. Scott didn't think too much of the person until the man spoke his name.

"Scott?"

Scott nearly dropped the book and his head snapped up to see the Professor.

"Professor!" the young man nearly squeaked.

The Professor smiled at him. "I apologize, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't, I just, I....was looking for a book to read."

"I can see that. How are you fairing, Scott?"

"G-Good," Scott answered. For once he woke up feeling okay despite that terrifying nightmare. Scott set the book on the ground. He figured that the Professor wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. He continued on the conversation, "I, miss it here. I shouldn't have left, I'm sor-"

"It's not your fault, Scott. I understand why you did."

"You do?"

"Yes. You believed that you needed to stay with Winters, didn't you?"

"I don't really know. I mean I knew he was abusive, but I felt...I just went back, even though I know he wouldn't come here."

Scott couldn't describe why he had originally left. He knew he could've stayed, the Professor told him plenty of times before that he is always welcomed here. Scott only stayed for a week, but he felt at home. The Professor provided him everything he had wanted; a nice warm home, a full fledge meal and he never laid a hand on him or forced him into anything he didn't want to. But after that week, Scott woke up one night and went back to Winters. He didn't even say anything to the Professor.

"It's alright, Scott. I'm not mad, I'm glad that you finally joined us." The response was genuine. Scott studied the elder man's face, trying to find any deceit on the man's face. There was none.

Scott felt his cheeks burned. _'Stop being so paranoid around everyone'_   Scott scolded him.

"Do you miss him? The other me?" Scott asked. The subject change was sudden, but he wanted to stay away from the Winters topic altogether.

"All the time," the Professor replied, "but now you're here."

"A lot of the students misses me."

"You made a great impact on them. You inspired them." Scott scoffed. He never imagined himself being an inspiration to others. "Have you talk to any of them?"

"Only Kitty and Ororo and Logan and you."

"You should try talking to others," he offered.

"I know," Scott promised. _'But I'm not sure anyone wants to talk to their previously dead teacher'_.  "Professor? Can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"What is my purpose here? I mean Jean just, she never told me anything. She brought me back and I don't know what to do. Everything is different."

The Professor hesitated. "I don't know what was Jean's true intention. All I know she loved you and regretted killing you. I blame myself for that."

"Why do you say that?"

"I have made plenty of mistakes in the past when I believed I was helping. I didn't give Jean the help she needed and made the situation worse."

"So we really were a couple?"

"Yes, you two were in love, engaged actually. The moment you two came here you fell for one another."

"And I liked her?"

"Yes, you did. You both cared deeply more for on another, Jean especially."

The information was hard to swallow. Scott was aware of their relationship, snippets of his dreams showed that. From those snippets, they were close and there were something special between them. His insular view of Jean had changed. She wasn't the malevolent person he originally thought her to be. What the Professor said earlier, puzzled him. What did the Professor do that caused Jean to kill him? Scott wanted to press him further, but he figured he asked enough questions already.

"Scott," the Professor began, catching Scott's attention. "What did you wanted when you first left Winters?"

Scott shrugged. "To get away from him. Be able to control my powers." The former was something he wanted the most. The further he's away from Winters, the better he'll be.

The Professor nodded. "Yes, and I'll be helping with that," he promised. The Professor leaned in forward slightly and wore a serious look on his face. "Scott, you can do whatever you want. Winters is not here to hurt you, I, myself, will make sure of it. He can't force you into anything anymore. You can make your own decisions now."

_'My own decisions'_   Scott thought. The last sentence played in his head in a constant loop. The Professor was right, Winters isn't here to force him into anything. Scott is an adult and can do anything he wants. The thought reassured him. It mitigated the worry he had of Winters coming into his life again.

"Do you think Winters will come back?" Scott asked.

"Logan believe so."

"What do you believe?"

"I believe there is a chance it could be him. A lot of years have passed since he last saw you," the Professor pointed out. "There shouldn't be a reason for him to come after you."

"But someone is," Scott muttered, hoping the Professor didn't hear him and glancing off the side.

"Scott-"

"Xavier!" a man called out. Hank stopped when he saw Scott. "Hello, Scott."

"H-Hi," Scott mumbled.

Hank averted his attention back to the Professor. "Professor, can I talk to you?"

He nodded. "Yes. Scott, I will be back."

"Wait!" The Professor stopped and turned to Scott. "T-Thanking you for saving me from Stryker. I don't think I could have survived another day of..."

The man smiled. "You shouldn't be thanking me. You should thank Logan."

With that, the two men left the library, leaving Scott alone in his corner. Did Logan save him? Logan never mentioned it before to him and Scott didn't remember seeing him on the Island. _'Did Stryker kidnap him too? Was he the mutant that was attacking all the soldiers?'_ He winced as his head began to hurt. He decided to drop the matter and confront it later when Logan came back. There was too much pain in his memories to try analyzing them.

Scott pushed his leg to his chest and grabbed the book that he was previously reading. He allowed himself to be buried deep in the book's plot, trying to forget all his troubles around him.

* * *

The hours after Winters left, Braginsky went to work his affairs in order. He made phone calls with the other high-ranked members from the United States fraction and the Chinese fraction. In middle of a conversation with a Chinese member, the intercom button lit up. Braginsky pressed the speaker button.

"Mister Braginsky, you have a visitor," the secretary said.

Braginsky's blood went cold. "дерьмо́."

"什麼？"

"對不起，不是你。我得走了。" Braginsky ended the call. "Let him in," he told the secretary.

A loud beep emitted and Braginsky straightened his jacket. The warning Winters gave him was fresh in his mind and Braginsky mentally prepared himself for the conversation to come.

When the door opened, Braginsky forced a smile on his face. The man who entered had ghastly white skin, piercing red eyes and prominent cheekbones which gave him a cadaverous appearance. The forced smile falter a bit when the man crept closer to his desk. His red eyes showed amusement while his face was neutral.

Braginsky cleared his throat. "Doctor Essex, wonderful to see you here. How are the experiments going? Do you like the mutants we provided you?"

"In a matter of fact, I do," Essex responded, flashing the Russian a smile before turning into a frown. "But there is only one little problem."

Braginsky swallowed and licked his lips. "Oh, yes, about _that_."

"Where is he, Braginsky? He's one of my _important_ subjects." He put emphasis on 'important'.

"We still haven't found him yet," Braginsky replied. He felt like he was suffocating in his outfit. "But we do have an idea of where he's at."

"New York?"

"Yes, sir."

"How long have you known this?"

"Yesterday."

"And why isn't he here? I gave you a week, didn't I?"

He nodded slowly. "And we still have three days left. We'll find him for sure."

"Is that right?" Essex questioned, raising his thin black eyebrow. "Braginsky, as much as I appreciate your contributions to my experiments, I am very disappointed in you."

"My men are trying their best, they had a little roadblock."

"Braginsky, what do you find most important to you?" Essex asked. Braginsky watched as the man grabbed the apple shaped crystal and observed it. "For Winters, its money, I'm interested in yours."

Braginsky swallowed nervously. He tried to wonder why the man will ask such a question.

"It's an easy question, Braginsky." The man's voice caught his attention and brought him back to reality.

"M-My organization, s-sir," Braginsky told him, avoiding the man's red eyes.

"No, it's your son." He set the crystal down as Braginsky's eyes widen. The man's eyes were practically boring into him. "He's your only child, correct?"

He nodded, feeling his stomach harden. "Yes, sir."

"So if you don't bring Scott here in three days then I might have to give you a little 'motivation' to work harder."

"Y-Yes, sir." He cursed himself for stuttering and focused on the man's face and stared at one another for awhile.  The man finally breaks eye contact, glancing down at Braginsky's shaking hand. He yanked his hand away from the table, heat flooding into his cheek.

A devious smile crawls onto his face. "Good." He starts to walk to the door, stops, turns around and says, "Promise me that you won't cause too much chaos? We don't want to alert him, but do whatever means necessary."

The door slams behind him and Braginsky released a breath that he's been holding. He sat in his chair and spun it around, facing the painted lady. He began to formulate a plan. Right now the clock was ticking and the urgency to retrieve Scott was higher than ever. He has three days to find him and their son has three days looming over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may or may not have used that one scene with Braginsky talking to someone to flaunt my Chinese skills. I'm not sure if it's fully correct. (I only know about 20% of Mandarin)   
> дерьмо́ = shit  
> 什麼 = what?  
> 對不起，不是你。我得走了 = sorry, not you. I have to go now. 
> 
> I was aiming to release a chapter during pride month and I did. Happy pride month to all my LGBT+ readers out there.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised I managed to put out two chapters in one month. I did want to add one more chapter before Pride month is over. This chapter is also a bit shorter than the others. 
> 
> Note: Kitty, Bobby and Rogue's age  
> Kitty: 21  
> Bobby: 23  
> Rogue: 24

"Is there something wrong, Hank?" Charles asked as the two left the library.

"I'm not sure you would consider this wrong," Hank replied, looking straight ahead and leading Charles to his lab. "Maybe perceive this as...peculiar."

Charles furrowed his eyebrows. That didn't give him an insight on what the doctor wanted to discuss. Charles skimmed Hank's thought, only picking up Scott's name and he stopped himself from looking deep into the man's thoughts any further.

When Charles left the library, he felt guilty for leaving Scott alone with his troubling thoughts, especially after reminding him of Stryker. Charles believed he shouldn't take full responsibility for rescuing Scott. If Logan hadn't been the one to break in and decimated the soldiers, he probably wouldn't have rescued Scott. In a way, he can thank Logan twice for bringing Scott to him.

"How is Scott doing?" Hank asked. They were now downstairs, walking down the hallway. "Is he integrating well?"

"I believe so," Charles answered. "For his second day, he seems to be fairing well." He wasn't sure how Scott felt. He couldn't read his mind. It pained Charles knowing that he wouldn't be able to mentally help Scott if he had a traumatic episode. The boy has dealt with so much abuse at a young age that it was amazing that he can still properly function.

"I have barely spoken to him, but Scott looks less introverted," Hank mentioned.

Charles nodded in agreement. "I believe we can thank Logan for that."

The week Scott had spent with Logan before arriving allowed Scott to recuperate from Winters and be around someone who hasn't abuse him. He could see that their relationship is better. Scott seems to take a liking to Scott while Logan is less hostile and more protective towards Scott. Charles hoped this will turn their relationship for the better.

Charles wheeled into the lab behind Hank. Hank separated himself from Charles and searched through his slovenly lab. There were papers scattered on the table and many different chemicals on the counters.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?" Charles questioned, breaking the silence between them.

Hank turned to Charles and nodded. "Yes, but it has something to with Scott."

Charles narrowed his eyes, immediately getting worried. "Go on."

"Well," Hank began. He pulled out files and handed them to the Professor. Charles skimmed through them. "You see, there is a difference between Scott's check-up from when he first came here and from yesterday."

He raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"First, he has a different blood type. Originally he's been O positive, but when I perform the blood test today, he came back as O negative."

"Could it be a typo?"

"I believe so too. Then I tried it again and Scott's blood still came back as O negative."

"This...is not possible is it?"

"Naturally, no. Unless Scott has received bone marrow transplant and giving that Winters rarely brought Scott to the doctor, it is not possible. Not even our mutation would change our blood type," Hank explained. "Secondly, I scanned him and he shared the same heat energy similar to Jean when she resurrected."

Charles set the file on his lap. "The Phoenix Force?" This is a lot to take in.

"Yes, but a very small signature. Not enough for it to corrupt him, but I will monitor it."

"Alright."

"Thirdly, there are bruises on Scott, similar to the one Winters inflicted on him."

"Scott did have bruises on him when he first arrived," Charles pointed. He noticed the faint blue bruise that resembled a hand mark on Scott's wrist earlier.

"If Jean revived Scott, his body shouldn't have bruises on him. Jean didn't carry any bruises on her when she revived herself and she shared the same DNA structure and blood type as before."

"You seem to doubt Jean's involvement in this."

"I am skeptical. Scott was vaporized, it would make more sense if there was a body left behind."

The elder man pressed his lips to a thin line. The doctor had a point.

"You're saying that bringing Scott back would have been impossible?"

"Reviving anyone back without a body is practically impossible. It's amazing that you came back."

"I was only in a coma," Charles reminded him.

"But you were presumed dead for awhile," Hank retorted. "The only reason why Jean was revived is that the Phoenix Force needed a host and Jean's other personality was able to provide that. Scott, on the other hand, isn't it's host. It is understandable that Jean wished to bring Scott back as his death was accidental. The issue is that Jean is dead. I doubt, if her spirit lived on, she would have enough energy to recreate a whole another being while also implanting all their memories."

The elder man's jaw tighten. The doctor had a point. Like anyone in the mansion, no one would have believed Scott could have returned. Charles was aware of instances where people came back to life, a supernatural phenomenon that happened around the world, but their cases were different. They came back after minutes or in extreme cases, a few hours. Their body was still there and even mutants out there with the ability to revive a person need a body. The only instance where someone has come back to life after years was Captain America, though he was stuck in a cryogenic preservation. Hank did say Jean managed to place herself in a telekinetic when she was underwater.

Hank pointed out the flaws of Jean being responsible. Jean's alter ego was powerful, more powerful than himself and Magneto. She had the ability to destroy with a mere hand gesture, but no one was sure if she held the ability to create. She could be powerful enough to be able to, maybe the regret of killing her husband made it a driving force to revive Scott. Still, it didn't make sense why she waited until now to revive him or revive him as a teenager. There were many questions he had, but no probability of being answered. If only he could contact her.

"But would it be possible if there was a body?" questioned Charles.

"More than likely, yes. If she bought back Scott, all his memories would be intact and there would be nobody to create, so it would be easier for her," Hank told him.

"So what does this mean? Are you implying that this Scott isn't ours?" He didn't want to see that as a possibility. He has gone years of feeling indirectly responsible for his adopted son's death and everything to turn out that the boy who came isn't him.

"I don't know what I believe. All I know he does share the same DNA, possibly the same memories even though I never asked him. Maybe I'm looking at this from a scientific point of view which is the reason for my doubts."

"Then what would be a scientific possibility?"

"Cloning, but you need DNA and an embryo."

"Who would want to clone Scott?"

"Stryker did perform experiments on him and that man from the orphanage."

"Mr. Milbury?" Charles frowned, remembering what the man had done to Scott. "Yes, I remember those memories, but I don't think that man is capable of cloning or anyone really."

"That doesn't mean we should dismiss that possibility."

"You are right. I'll tell Ororo to go investigate the orphanage, maybe they will find something there."

"I will do the blood test again, maybe do an MRI scan on him."

Charles nodded. "I will...." He didn't know what to do.

"Try checking on his memories, maybe he remembers it differently," Hank suggested.

"I can't read his memory. There's a mental block on him and I believe Jean may be responsible for it."

Hank shrugged. "Could be." He paused for a moment. "Maybe Jean did manage to revive Scott, my theory could be wrong."

"Your theories are never wrong, I'm afraid."

The man lightly chuckled. "I could be wrong this time."

"It would explain why people are after Scott," Charles said.

"If so, would it be wrong?"

Charles shook his head. "It would be hypocritical on my part to deny someone who's different. I just..." He sighed. "I miss him. I have gone so many years without him that I just-"

"I know. We all miss him too, both of them," Hank said.

Charles set the files on the table. "Whatever conspiracy we may uncover, we'll keep Scott safe."

Hank nodded, taking the files. "Of course."

"I'm glad you informed me on this," was all he could muster.

Charles left the lab. He thought of the possibilities that lie in the future. Clone!Scott or Revived!Scott, either way, someone is after his Scott and he'll be damned if someone dares hurt his son again.

* * *

 

When Xavier left with Hank, Scott had a difficult time trying to focus his attention back on the book. Every few minutes, Scott became too distracted by their conversation. Scott decided to give up reading the book and placed it back on the shelf. He figured his time at the library was over and he could venture to someplace else to entertain himself until Logan came back. Scott was hesitant on discussing Logan's possible involvement in Stryker's Island to Logan. Scott thought back to his escape from the Island. Scott remembered hearing from the other captured mutants of a man helping them. No one caught his name, but they all knew the man was strong enough to take down the entire army guarding the compound. Logan had never mentioned it before. Scott wondered if Logan was aware he even saved him at all. Logan did know of Stryker and Scott imagined that his older self had an encounter with Stryker that left Stryker dead.

Scott took in a deep breath then exhaled through his nose. He felt his chest swell and heart quicken as he remembered the bullets whizzing past his ears, the many people screaming out in pain, the feeling of being grabbed by soldiers that dragged him out to be experimented on, Victor entering his-

Scott gasped and broke into fits of coughs. _'You shouldn't have done that! What is wrong with you?_ ' he scolded himself. Scott's first thought went to the Professor. The Professor had always promised to help Scott cope with his past. Scott closed his eyes and swallowed. He controlled his breathing and waited for his mini panic attack to dissipate.

Scott decided now would be a good time to leave the library. He started to leave until he heard a familiar voice called out to him.

"Mr. Summers!" Kitty came from, God knows where, and greeted Scott with a huge smile. "I didn't know you were here."

"I was just leaving," he told her, feeling a bit anxious and hoping she didn't saw him freaking out earlier.

"Oh?" She tilted her head slightly. "How long have you been here?"

"Since noon." _'I think.'_

"That's long," Kitty said.

"What time is it?"

"Since I just finished my tutoring...3:30."

"That is long."

"I can understand why you like it here, it's quiet, just like you." She quickly added. "No offense."

Scott shrugged. "You're not wrong."

"I was gonna ask if you wanted to hang out with us, but since you're leaving-"

"Us?" Scott questioned.

"You remember Bobby and Rogue, right?" Scott nodded. "They were just tutoring someone and now they're done. You totally can come and hang out with us."

Scott looked to the direction Kitty was pointing to. He vaguely remembered seeing Bobby and Rogue, only remembering Rogue's white streaks and modest outfits. Scott shrugged. "Sure." It wasn't an everyday thing where he's invited to hang out with others.

"Great!" She grabbed Scott's hand and dragged him to the table, seeming a bit too excited that Scott joined them.

Scott came across Bobby and Rogue staring at a book together. He noticed how close they were to one another.

"Scott, meet friends, friends meet-"

"Baby Cyclops," quipped Bobby.

"Mr. Summers," Rogue said.

"You can call me Scott, I'm not your teacher," Scott told them. He was starting to despise the formal greetings.

"Yet,” Bobby added.

"You're older than me," Scott pointed out. "I can't teach any of you."

"But ya will be our field leader," Rogue said. He wasn't sure about that. There was no point of him taking Ororo's position.

"I still don't want to be called Mr. Summers, it makes me feel old."

"But you are old," Bobby said.

"I'm younger than you."

"What year were you born."

"1977." _*beat*_ "I don't look old. I'm only 18."

"Mentally you are."

"Ya just more mature than us," Rogue added.

Scott frowned. Was he really?

"Not that there's anything wrong with that," Kitty reassured him. The two nodded in agreement.

The only thing Scott could do was say, "Oh." and sat down next to Kitty.

The trip carried a conversation which Scott mostly listened to. There was s lot of inside jokes and discussion on classroom work and X-Men missions. Scott discovered a couple of things from their conversation. He found out that Rogue has the ability to mimic others' abilities through touch, but it her touch is deadly. She mentioned she's able to go a minute with touching someone without putting them in danger. Bobby has the ability to create ice and turn his body into ice also.

Scott found himself nodding along. Whenever Bobby cracked a joke, Scott tried to join on the group's laughter even though most went past his head. The whole thing felt welcoming to Scott. He's was able to enjoy himself with a group of people, people who were similar to him. It's something he's proud to be a part of.

"So Scott, ya arrived with Mr. Logan, right?" Rogue asked.

"Yes."

"How was it? Ah know you two don't have the best relationship, but was he nice?"

Scott nodded. "Yes, he…doesn't hate me. I guess we're in good terms."

"Do ya like him?"

Scott's cheeks turned pink. "He's a… _interesting_ person. Someone I'm not used."

"And who are you used to?" Bobby questioned with a grin.

"Generally men who have an unusual obsession with me and likes to hit me." The trio looked at him stunned.

"Like Jack Winters?" Kitty questioned.

"He's one of those. Did the Professor tell you about him?"

"Sorta. We were complaining about your strict training, but he explained why you're the way you are."

"Oh." He wondered how much detail the Professor went into about his childhood. He tried to change the subject. "Anyway, Logan isn't that much of a jerk after you're with him for awhile. I think he's caring. Sometimes he acts like he doesn't care, but then he does and...it's confusing."

"That sounds like Logan, alright!" Rogue agreed. "Don't worry, he's always been confusin', but Ah think he likes ya."

Scott's cheeks redden. "I guess. Did he do that with you?"

"Uh huh. He's the one that brought me here, with the help of ya and Ms. Munroe."

"So pretending to not care when he actually does, means he like you."

"In his own special way, yeah."

Scott couldn't help, but smile as his chest warmed up.

"Wait, Scott do you-" Kitty abruptly stopped. Her eyebrows furrowed then she nodded. "The Professor wants to speak to you."

"Oh." Scott got up from the table.

"I can take you to his office," Kitty said, standing up as well. Scott nodded and the two said their goodbyes to Bobby and Rogue.

Scott walked side by side with Kitty as the left the library. He walked a bit slower, letting the woman be a step ahead of him so she could lead the way. He noticed the way her hair swung from side to side as she walked with a bit of a bounce.

"So, do you, you know, like Logan?"

Scott blinked. "He's nice to be around."

"Not like that, I mean, like like."

"You mean if I have a crush on him?"

" _Duh_!"

"Is it obvious?"

"Unless you're you, yes it's obvious."

"Is it wrong that I like him?"

"Unusual, since you two always argued and are complete opposite. Even then you two had some weird tension and it was definitely amped up after Jean died, but if you're talking about liking another man, perfectly acceptable here."

_'Just like Damien said.'_ "So are you going to confess your feelings?"

Scott shrugged. He was never great at expressing his emotions nor have he ever attempted to ask anyone out. The one time he did, didn't end so well. "I don't know. I barely know that much about him."

"Then get to know him. He doesn't really know that much about himself, but it worth a shot."

"You seem pretty okay with it."

"It was bound to happen. You just..."

"Died before it could?"

"Yeah. If it makes you feel better, the whole student body ships it."

"Ships it?"

"Support you two together." Scott didn't imagine to gain Kitty's support though the woman didn't seem to be the type to discriminate against anything. In a short while, they stopped at Xavier's office. Kitty turned around to look at Scott with a smile on her face. "We can talk about this later if you want, if you want any advice, come to me, okay?"

Scott nodded. He's definitely going to need advice. "Thank you."

"No problem." With that she left Scott alone. Scott faced the door, took one deep breath, and entered the office.


End file.
